Governor John Bel Edwards has five million dollars in his reelection war chest at the midway point of his term. The fundraising numbers from his annual campaign finance report, combined with his high favorability ratings, give the governor a strong starting position heading into the 2019 governor’s race. Political Analyst Clancy DuBos says it still might not be enough to get him a second term.
85 percent of those funds came from Louisiana, but DuBos says the governor will have to ramp up his national fundraising to keep up with his GOP rivals.
According to Morning Consult, Edwards is the nation’s most popular Democratic governor, with a 56 percent approval rating, the exact level of support he received when running against David Vitter. DuBos says polling indicates Edwards is doing a good job of connecting with Louisiana voters.
DuBos says other factors helping the governor’s approval rating are his handling of natural disasters and that most voters blame the Jindal administration for the state’s fiscal woes.