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US-POLITICS-VOTE-GOVERNOR-TRUMP
Louisiana re-elects Democratic governor in setback for Trump
WASHINGTON, Nov 17, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Louisiana re-elected its Democratic
governor Saturday in a fresh blow to US President Donald Trump, who
campaigned heavily in the state amid the ongoing impeachment investigation
into his conduct as president.
The setback comes during one of the most fraught weeks in Trump’s
presidency as the House of Representatives staged the probe’s first public
hearings.
It also follows Trump’s three visits to the state to stump for Republican
challenger Eddie Rispone, a Louisiana businessman.
US media declared incumbent Governor John Bel Edwards the winner by a
narrow margin, with 51.3 percent of the vote. Rispone ended the night with
48.7 percent, according to the New York Times.
For Trump, who won Louisiana by 20 percentage points in 2016, Rispone’s
defeat marks an embarrassing drubbing, especially for a president who has
frequently boasted that his star power is enough to propel Republicans to
victory around the country.
A similar campaign on behalf of Kentucky’s Republican Governor Matt Bevin
flopped last week, with Democrat Andy Beshear winning after a nail-biting
contest.
Edwards said in his victory speech that “our shared love for Louisiana is
always more important than the partisan differences that sometimes divide
us.”
“And as for the president: God bless his heart,” he said, drawing cheers
and laughter.
Trump, who is battling impeachment in Congress, described the contest in
Louisiana as a proxy for the wider Democrat-Republican struggle ahead of the
2020 presidential election.
“If you want to defend our values, our jobs, and your freedom, then you
need to replace radical liberal John Edwards,” he said.
In a speech in Bossier City last Thursday, Trump railed against his
Democratic opponents as “maniacs” and a “bunch of mad people,” stating that
Louisiana is “not going to let them destroy our country and rob your children
of their future.”
On Saturday evening, Rispone conceded the governor’s race, telling a crowd
of supporters: “We have nothing to be ashamed of.”
As for Trump, he said: “That man loves America and he loves Louisiana. He
came down here three times specifically to come and help us.”
Polls during the final days of the gubernatorial campaign showed Edwards,
a moderate Democrat, poised for a narrow win, despite Louisiana being a
solidly conservative state.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1725 hrs