Republican voters divided as GOP targets Democratic-governed in Louisiana

Louisiana’s Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, will face off against two main Republican rivals in today’s gubernatorial election.

Louisiana is the only state in the southern US with a Democratic governor. The incumbent is polling around the 47% mark, with his Republican rivals Congressman Ralph Abraham and businessman Eddie Rispone garnering support from some 20% of those polled.

Republican strategists have adopted a unique strategy. Both candidates have produced negative publicity for each other and Edwards, whilst President Trump has chosen to back both candidates instead of one, which could prompt a run-off election.

A candidate will need 50% votes to win the election tomorrow. If no one receives at least 50% votes, a run-off election will be held in November—the chances of this occurring are considerably high, according to Republicans.

The GOP believes that a one-on-one between Edwards and one of their candidates will increase their chance of winning governorship. A conservative win would be a counted as a victory for Trump moving into the 2020 campaign. Should Edwards come out on top, his second term would likely be defined by avoiding hot-button national issues such as abortion and focusing instead on the state’s economic policies.

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