John Bel Edwards (Louisiana)

John Bel Edwards

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Louisiana House of Representatives District 72

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Governor of Louisiana

Successor: Jeff Landry

Predecessor: Bobby Jindal

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Education

High school

Amite High School, 1984

Bachelor's

United States Military Academy, 1988

Law

Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, 1999

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Personal LinkedIn

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John Bel Edwards (Democratic Party) was the Governor of Louisiana. He assumed office on January 11, 2016. He left office on January 8, 2024.

Edwards (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Governor of Louisiana. He won in the general election on November 16, 2019.

Edwards was first elected to the office in 2015, succeeding term-limited Gov. Bobby Jindal (R).

Before he was elected as governor, Edwards represented District 72 in the state House for eight years, serving as minority leader for the final four years. He worked as an attorney in private practice before seeking elected office.

Edwards served eight years in the U.S. Army.

Biography

Edwards grew up in Amite. He graduated from Amite High School and then from the United States Military Academy in 1988. Edwards served eight years as an airborne ranger in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of captain. He commanded a rifle company and a parachute infantry regiment in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Edwards retired from the Army and received a J.D. from Louisiana State University Law School. He opened a civil law practice in Amite. Edwards was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2008, where he served until his election as governor.

Political career

Governor of Louisiana (2016-2023)

Edwards was inaugurated as governor of Louisiana on January 11, 2016. He left office due to term limits on January 8, 2024.

Louisiana House of Representatives (2008-2015)

Edwards was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, representing District 72. He was first elected to the chamber in 2007; he left office to become governor after the 2015 election.

Click [show] to view committee assignments

Committee assignments 2015 legislative session At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Edwards served on the following committees: Louisiana committee assignments, 2015 • Civil Law and Procedure • Education • Judiciary 2012-2013 In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Edwards served on the following committees: Civil Law and Procedure Education Judiciary Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Chairman 2010-2011 In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Edwards served on the following committees: Budget Civil Law and Procedure Education Judiciary

Click [show] to view sponsored legislation
Sponsored legislation The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2023

See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2023

John Bel Edwards was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.

2019

See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2019

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

General election for Governor of Louisiana

Incumbent John Bel Edwards defeated Eddie Rispone in the general election for Governor of Louisiana on November 16, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Bel Edwards (D)	51.3	774,498
		Eddie Rispone (R)	48.7	734,286

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,508,784 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of Louisiana

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of Louisiana on October 12, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Bel Edwards (D)	46.6	625,970
✔		Eddie Rispone (R)	27.4	368,319
		Ralph Abraham (R)	23.6	317,149
		Oscar Dantzler (D)	0.8	10,993
	Submit photo	Patrick Landry (R)	0.8	10,966
		Gary Landrieu (Independent)	0.8	10,084

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,343,481
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Manuel Leach (R)
• Patrick Doguet (R)
• M.V. Mendoza (D)

2015

See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2015

Edwards successfully ran for governor of Louisiana in 2015. Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) was term-limited and unable to seek re-election.

Results

General election

The general election for Louisiana governor between David Vitter (R) and John Bel Edwards (D) was held on November 21, 2015. Edwards defeated his Republican opponent.

Governor of Louisiana, Run-off election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Bel Edwards	56.1%	646,860
	Republican	David Vitter	43.9%	505,929
Total Votes				1,152,789
Election Results via the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Primary election

No candidate received an outright majority in the blanket primary election. The two candidates with the most votes, who qualified for the November runoff election, were John Bel Edwards (D) and David Vitter (R).

Governor of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Bel Edwards	39.9%	444,061
	Republican	David Vitter	23%	256,105
	Republican	Scott Angelle	19.3%	214,907
	Republican	Jay Dardenne	15%	166,553
	Democratic	Cary Deaton	1.1%	11,750
	Democratic	S L Simpson	0.7%	7,411
	Independent	Beryl Billiot	0.5%	5,690
	Independent	Jeremy "JW" Odom	0.4%	4,755
	Independent	Eric Paul Orgeron	0.2%	2,244
Total Votes				1,113,476
Election Results Louisiana Secretary of State.

Click here for in-depth analysis of the 2015 race.

2011

See also: Louisiana House of Representatives elections, 2011

On October 22, 2011, Edwards won re-election to District 72 of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He defeated Johnny Duncan (I) in the October 22 primary.

Louisiana House of Representatives, District 72 Blanket Primary, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Edwards Incumbent	83.1%	9,968
	Independent	Johnny Duncan	16.9%	2,032
Total Votes				12,000

2007

In 2007, Edwards was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. He defeated George R. Tucker.

Louisiana House of Representatives General Election, District 72 (2007)
Candidates		Votes
John Edwards (D)		6,825
George R. Tucker (D)		3,541

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Bel Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

The following themes were found on Edwards' campaign website.

“	STATE BUDGET Louisiana’s budget is much better off under Governor Edwards. Three years ago, Louisiana faced a more than $2 billion budget deficit, the largest in our state’s history. Our hospitals and universities were suffering from years of deep cuts and unemployment was going up while our credit rating was going down. In 2018, Governor Edwards brought together both Republicans and Democrats to forge a bipartisan, fiscally responsible budget compromise. Thanks to that bipartisan budget compromise, Louisiana cut taxes by $600 million from 2017 to 2018 and has had three consecutive years of budget surpluses for the first time in a decade. In those budget negotiations, Governor Edwards successfully fought to protect higher education, TOPS, hospitals, law enforcement funding and veterans affairs from needless and painful cuts. Now our critical priorities have reliable funding for the first time in a decade, more than two million Louisianans are working, and our credit rating is improving. With stable funding and budget surpluses, Louisiana can invest in our critical priorities without raising taxes. Governor Edwards has made state government more efficient, cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in state government spending and reducing the number of state government contracts by 25%. HEALTHCARE On his first day in office, Governor Edwards’ signed an executive order to expand Medicaid to provide healthcare for working people in Louisiana. That decision brought $1.85 billion federal tax dollars back home to Louisiana that were otherwise being sent to other states, is responsible for more than 19,000 jobs, and cut our uninsured rate in half. Those numbers pale in comparison to the lives that are being saved. More than 450,000 working Louisianans have enrolled in Medicaid Expansion. 73,000 are women who have received breast cancer screenings. 13,000 are Louisianans who had colon cancer averted after a screening. 15,000 are Louisianans now receiving treatment for previously undiagnosed diabetes. 89,000 are Louisianans now receiving Mental Health services. And 17,000 are Louisianans receiving substance abuse services. And thanks to Medicaid Expansion, Louisiana hasn’t seen a single rural hospital close its doors. Governor Edwards is also standing up to fight efforts to take away your healthcare. He has opposed litigation that would seek to undo Medicaid Expansion and take away protections for 850,000 Louisianans who have pre-existing medical conditions. And in case efforts to take away those protections are successful, Governor Edwards supports a bipartisan solution to write protections for Louisianans with pre-existing conditions into state law. ECONOMY Since Governor Edwards took office, his administration has secured more than 160 major economic development projects, including the largest in Louisiana history. Those projects have brought $40 billion in new capital investment and more than 30,000 new permanent jobs. Louisiana’s economy is now bigger than it’s ever been, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In 2018, Louisiana reached its lowest unemployment rate in a decade. And the number of people working in Louisiana is near record-high levels. Under Governor Edwards, Louisiana is attracting new companies and industries that are diversifying Louisiana’s economy. He believes the key to a strong economy is a well-educated and job-ready workforce. After suffering the largest disinvestment in the country under the previous administration, Gov. Edwards and the legislature stabilized funding for higher education. His administration is making targeted investments in education to help Louisiana’s young people fill the thousands of good-paying jobs created by technology companies like DXC in New Orleans and CGI in Lafayette. In 2018, the Edwards Administration launched the first-ever Information Technology (IT) apprenticeship program in Louisiana. In 2018, the state worked with utility companies to establish a Line Worker Training Program at Louisiana community colleges. The Edwards Administration also launched the Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute, which has helped hundreds of young, emerging contractors acquire skills and become fully licensed. Under Governor Edwards, Louisiana has seen record-high employment of construction professionals. In fact, Louisiana’s FastStart program has been named the Number 1 Workforce Training Program in America every year Governor Edwards has been in office. Governor Edwards also knows small businesses are the backbone of so many communities. That’s why Governor Edwards launched the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, to advise the governor on how his administration and the legislature can help businesses grow. The Edwards Administration has helped Louisiana’s small business owners create more than 6,000 jobs and increase their sales by more than $500 million. But Governor Edwards knows that $7.25 an hour is not a meaningful wage in 2019, and he supports a modest but meaningful increase to Louisiana’s minimum wage. Our neighbors in other southern states like Arkansas have seen their minimum wages raised without job losses, and it’s time for Louisiana to follow suit. Governor Edwards also believes in equal pay for equal work, and has consistently introduced and advocated for legislation to ensure that women are paid the same as men for doing the same job. Louisiana has the worst gender pay gap in the nation, and Governor Edwards is committed to fixing it. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM In Louisiana, Criminal Justice Reform is working to reduce our crime rate, cut recidivism in half, and save taxpayer dollars. This bipartisan legislation was written with the help of law enforcement and district attorneys and has allowed our state to shed the label of incarceration capital of the world – a title the state held for nearly 40 years. Louisiana’s criminal justice reform is now being used as a model for national reforms championed by President Trump. As the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Sheriffs, Governor Edwards knows firsthand that smarter law enforcement means safer communities. And Louisiana is leading the way to a more secure future. The criminal justice reform proposals championed by the legislature passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2017. A strong coalition of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents joined with the religious right, the religious left, law enforcement, and the business community to implement reforms that were modeled off of efforts in other southern, conservative states like Texas and South Carolina. In the end, the full package of bills promoted public safety, supported victims, and reinvested savings in programs that better train incarcerated individuals for life outside of prison. EDUCATION It’s time for Louisiana to invest in our students and teachers. With a teaching shortage for over a decade and K-12 funding decreases across the nation, we’re not living up to the promises we made to our children. That’s why Governor Edwards raised teacher pay for the first time in a decade and invested $20 million in early childhood education. This pay raise will help Louisiana recruit and retain more qualified teachers as we close in on the southern regional average. Governor Edwards is committed to making more investments in education in his second term. As the husband of a teacher, Governor Edwards knows first-hand we must invest more in education at all levels. After Louisiana led the nation in cuts to higher education under the previous governor, Governor Edwards has stopped the cuts and stabilized funding for our universities and community colleges. Governor Edwards’ bipartisan budget compromise of 2018 prevented a 30% cut to TOPS that would’ve encouraged Louisiana’s best and brightest students to leave the state for college. Governor Edwards believes that our higher education institutions are key drivers of economic development. As part of the largest-ever economic development deal in Louisiana’s history to bring DXC Technology to Louisiana, Governor Edwards invested $25 million in higher education to produce more Louisiana graduates with STEM degrees. Last year, Governor Edwards worked with technology firm CGI to secure an expansion of the IT Center of Excellence at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. That expansion will bring 400 new jobs to Louisiana and build on a program to boost graduates from the University’s School of Computing & Informatics. TAXES In 2018, Louisiana cut taxes from the previous year by $600 million as part of a bipartisan budget compromise forged by Governor Edwards and a bipartisan coalition of legislators. That tax cut predominantly helped working Louisianans, with a cut to the sales tax and a boost to the state Earned Income Tax Credit. VETERANS Governor Edwards knows first-hand the sacrifices America’s servicemen and servicewomen make for their country. As a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Governor Edwards served eight years as an Airborne Ranger infantry officer. He commanded a parachute infantry company in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Governor Edwards is a lifetime member of the Acadiana Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association. Governor Edwards also knows that veterans don’t stop serving when they come home. As business owners, Louisiana veterans continue to serve their communities with distinction and play an integral role in our economy. That’s why Governor Edwards passed the Veterans First Business Initiative, the first program of its kind in the nation. The initiative will connect veteran businesses to new customers across the state through a database where Louisianans can find veteran businesses near them. Governor Edwards is deeply committed to continuing to work closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the quality of healthcare available to our state’s servicemen and servicewomen. Our veterans have made sacrifices to keep us safe, and it is our duty to ensure they receive timely access to adequate healthcare when they need it. As the state faced historic deficits, demanding cuts across state government, Gov. Edwards consistently protected the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs from unnecessary cuts that would hurt Louisiana veterans. COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION Under Governor Edwards, Louisiana has more coastal restoration projects underway than at any point in our history. In fact, 27 restoration projects have been completed on the Louisiana coast since Governor Edwards took office, providing $5.25 billion in value to the region and making Louisiana an international leader in coastal restoration. Though the restoration will take decades, Governor Edwards knows that there isn’t a single day to waste. That’s why he has met Louisiana’s coastal challenges with bipartisanship and bold action. In 2017, he received unanimous approval from the Louisiana legislature for the Coastal Master Plan, which which calls for $50 billion over the next 50 years to protect and restore the coast. With the leadership of Governor Edwards, Louisiana has completed critical projects like the $216 million beach restoration near Fort Fourchon and the $116 reconstruction of Whiskey Island in Terrebonne Parish. These projects and others still ongoing will ensure that future generations of Louisianans can enjoy the same bayous and beaches that have made our state a Sportsman’s Paradise.	”
—John Bel Edwards

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by John Bel Edwards

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Shawn Wilson  source  (D)	Governor of Louisiana (2023)	Primary	Lost Primary

Notable ballot measure endorsements by John Bel Edwards

Measure	Position	Outcome
Louisiana Amendment 1, No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment (2020)  source	Support	Approved

Campaign finance summary

Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.

Analysis

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Louisiana

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Louisiana scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2016

In 2016, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from March 14 through June 6. A special session was held from February 14 to March 9 to address the state's budget gap. A second special session was held from June 6 to June 23.

• Americans for Prosperity Louisiana

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.

• Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

• Louisiana Family Forum

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to social issues.

• Louisiana Right to Life Federation: Senate and House

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to abortion.

• Louisiana State University Student Government

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to higher education issues.

• The American Conservative Union

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].

In 2015, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from April 13 through June 11. Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Legislators are scored on bills of interest to Louisiana businesses. Louisiana Association of Educators Legislators are scored on votes related to educators and public education. Louisiana Family Forum Legislators are scored on bills related to family issues. GreenArmy Legislators are scored on bills related to the environment. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2014

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show].

In 2014, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from March 10 through June 3. GreenArmy Legislators are scored on bills related to the environment. Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Legislators are scored on bills of interest to Louisiana businesses. Louisiana Association of Educators Legislators are scored on votes related to educators and public education. Louisiana Family Forum: Senate and House Legislators are scored by the Louisiana Family Forum on bills that "protect and promote families and traditional values in Louisiana." Louisiana Right to Life Federation: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to abortion. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2013

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].

In 2013, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from April 8 to June 6. Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Legislators are scored on bills of interest to Louisiana businesses. Louisiana Association of Educators Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to educators and public education. Louisiana Family Forum: Senate and House Legislators are scored by the Louisiana Family Forum on bills that "protect and promote families and traditional values in Louisiana." Louisiana Right to Life Federation: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to abortion.

2012

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show].

In 2012, the Louisiana State Legislature was in session from March 12 through June 4. Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Legislators are scored on bills of interest to Louisiana businesses. Louisiana Family Forum: Senate and House Legislators are scored by the Louisiana Family Forum on bills that "protect and promote families and traditional values in Louisiana." Louisiana Right to Life Federation: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to abortion.

Ballot measure activity

The following table details Edwards' ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for John Bel Edwards
Ballot measure	Year	Position	Status
Louisiana Amendment 1, No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment (2020)	2020	Supported	a Approved
Louisiana Amendment 2, Unanimous Jury Verdict for Felony Trials Amendment (2018)	2018	Supported	a Approved
Louisiana Mandatory Judicial Retirement Age, Amendment 5 (2014)	2014	Supported	d Defeated

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Bobby Jindal (R)	Governor of Louisiana 2016-2024	Succeeded by Jeff Landry (R)
Preceded by -	Louisiana House of Representatives District 72 2008-2016	Succeeded by -