Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2015

Louisiana's 2015 elections Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • Secretary of State • Other executive offices • State Senate • State House • State ballot measures • School boards • Judicial • Candidate ballot access

2015 Louisiana Gubernatorial Election

Table of Contents Candidates Results Key deadlines Racetracking Polls Debates Campaign media Campaign finance Endorsements Past elections Governor's duties State profile Recent news See also External links

Primary Date: October 24, 2015

General Election Date: November 21, 2015

Incumbent prior to election: Bobby Jindal

A Louisiana gubernatorial election took place on November 21, 2015. As John Bel Edwards (D) and David Vitter (R) received the two largest shares of votes in the October primary, but neither received more than 50 percent, the two competed in the general election. Edwards defeated Vitter with 56 percent of the vote.

Incumbent Bobby Jindal (R), who was first elected in 2007, was ineligible for re-election in 2015 due to term limits.

Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% 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.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Candidates

General election

John Edwards - Louisiana State Representative
David Vitter - United States Senator

Defeated in primary

Cary Deaton
S L Simpson
Scott Angelle
Jay Dardenne
Eric Paul Orgeron
Beryl Billiot
Jeremy "JW" Odom

Withdrawn

Gregory Taylor^[1][2]

Declined to run

John Neely Kennedy - Ran for re-election as state treasurer^[3][4]
Jason Williams^[5]

Note: Governor Bobby Jindal was not eligible for re-election in 2015 due to term limits.

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.

In a post-election analysis for Ballotpedia, reporter Jim Barnes wrote that Edwards' attractiveness to conservative voters, coupled with Vitter's unpopularity, helped him win the election. Barnes pointed out that the pro-Edwards Gumbo PAC tailored its anti-Vitter ads toward supporters of Vitter's defeated primary opponents Scott Angelle, who did not endorse a candidate in the general election, and Jay Dardenne, who endorsed Edwards. Barnes also mentioned Vitter's prostitution scandal and Edwards' conservative positions on social issues as factors in Vitter's loss.

See the full analysis: 2015 Election Analysis: How Edwards Won in Louisiana

Early voting turnout

The early voting period ended on November 14, 2015. Statistics released the following day showed that 257,021 people voted early—9.5 percent more than those who voted early in the October jungle primary. Early voting rose disproportionately in parishes where Edwards is expected to do well. There was increased turnout in particular among registered Democrats and black voters.^[6]

Edwards took more than 50 percent of the vote in seven parishes in the primary. In those parishes, turnout rose by 29 percent. That includes a 40 percent rise in Orleans Parish, where New Orleans is located and Edwards received 72 percent of the vote. In the 15 Republican-leaning parishes where Edwards received under 30 percent, turnout rose by only 8.5 percent.^[6]

Early voting turnout decreased in parishes where Scott Angelle performed best in the blanket primary. In Angelle's five strongest parishes, early voter turnout for the general election decreased by 3 percent. Turnout decreased by 20 percent in St. Martin Parish, where Angelle received 62 percent of the primary vote.^[6]

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 general election, were John Bel Edwards (D) and David Vitter (R).^[7]

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.

Key deadlines

Deadline	Event
September 8, 2015	First day for candidate filing
September 10, 2015	Last day for candidate filing
September 23, 2015	Last day for voter registration in primary
October 10, 2015	First day for early voting in primary
October 17, 2015	Last day for early voting in primary
October 20, 2015	Last day to request mail ballot in primary
October 23, 2015	Deadline for mailed ballot submission in primary
October 24, 2015	Primary election
November 7, 2015	First day for early voting in general election
November 14, 2015	Last day for early voting in general election
November 17, 2015	Last day to request mail ballot for general election
November 20, 2015	Deadline for mailed ballot submission for general election
November 21, 2015	General election (if necessary)[8]

Voter registration

For full information about voting in Louisiana, contact the state election agency.

Voters in Louisiana can register to vote by filling out an online application. The online form can be submitted electronically if the applicant uses a driver's license as the required form of identification. Applicants can also print out their online forms and mail them to their parish registrars.^[9]

Louisiana also offers myriad locations for in-person registration up to 30 days prior to an election. These locations include parish registrars, offices of the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles or the Louisiana Department of Social Services, food stamp offices and recruitment offices for any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Applicants can use their driver's licenses, birth certificates, utility bills or government-issued documents with their name and current address as valid forms of identification.^[9]

Voters must meet the following qualifications to vote in Louisiana:^[9]

• U.S. citizenship
  
• At least 18 years old by the next election
  
• Resident of Louisiana and parish indicated on registration
  
• Not under order of imprisonment for felony conviction
  
• Have not been judged "mentally incompetent" in court

Racetracking

Note: Ratings are based on projections found in Governing, Larry Sabato, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, and The Cook Political Report. They were updated periodically throughout the election season.

Race Rankings - Louisiana Governor
Race Tracker	Race Rating
The Cook Political Report	Likely Republican
Governing	Likely Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Likely Republican
The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report	Likely Republican
Overall call	Likely Republican
Note: Ratings are based on projections found in Governing, Larry Sabato, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, and The Cook Political Report where available. They were updated periodically throughout the election season.

Polls

Run-off election candidates match-up: David Vitter (R) vs. John Bel Edwards (D)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	David Vitter (R)	John Edwards (D)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Anzalone Liszt Grove/Gumbo PAC October 26-28, 2015	40%	52%	7%	+/-3.7	700
Market Research Insight October 27-28, 2015	41%	49%	10%	+/-4.1	600
JMC Analytics/WVLA October 28-31, 2015	36%	52%	16%	+/-4	600
Market Research Insight November 11-14, 2015	38%	53%	9%	+/--	600
JMC Analytics November 14-16, 2015	35%	51%	13%	+/-3.9	635
AVERAGES	38%	51.4%	11%	+/-1.54	627
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Primary election candidates match-up

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	David Vitter (R)	John Edwards (D)	Jay Dardenne (R)	Scott Angelle (R)	Undecided or Other	Margin of error	Sample size
MarblePort Polling March 17, 2015	34%	31%	14%	7%	14%	+/-2.99	1,071
Southern Media & Opinion Research May 5 - 9, 2015	38.1%	24.6%	16.5%	5.4%	5.4%	+/-4	600
Market Research Insight May 27 - 29, 2015	32%	21%	18%	13%	16%	+/-3.5	700
Triumph Campaigns June 29 - 30, 2015	31%	30%	11%	14%	14%	+/-2.4	1,653
Market Research Insight July 27-31, 2015	22%	20%	13%	24%	21%	+/-4	600
The Hayride/MarblePort August 4-5, 2015	31.1%	30.6%	13.4%	14.1%	10.8%	+/--	1,050
Triumph Campaigns September 18, 2015	29%	35%	11%	12%	13%	+/-2.9	1,125
Public Policy Polling September 21-22, 2015	27%	28%	14%	15%	17%	+/-4	616
Triumph Campaigns September 29-30, 2015	28%	35%	15%	10%	13%	+/-2.9	1,047
KPLC/Raycom Media October 7-13, 2015	21%	24%	8%	7%	37%	+/-4	602
MRI October 14-16, 2015	20%	38%	14%	16%	11%	+/--	600
MRI October 15-19, 2015	19%	36%	14%	17%	12%	+/--	600
University of New Orleans Survey Research Center/Lucid October 14-19, 2015	27%	25%	11%	14%	23%	+/--	623
MarblePort October 20-21, 2015	28.5%	40.5%	14.1%	12.7%	4.3%	+/-3.0	1,464
AVERAGES	25.85%	27.91%	12.47%	12.08%	14.1%	+/-0.78	894.33
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Run-off hypothetical match-up: Scott Angelle (R) vs. John Bel Edwards (D)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	Scott Angelle (R)	John Edwards (D)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Public Policy Polling September 21-22, 2015	40%	40%	20%	+/-4	616
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Run-off hypothetical match-up: John Bel Edwards (D) vs. David Vitter (R)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	John Edwards (D)	David Vitter (R)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
KPLC/Raycom Media October 7-13, 2015	48%	32%	20%	+/-4	602
Public Policy Polling September 21-22, 2015	50%	38%	12%	+/-4	616
AVERAGES	49%	35%	16%	+/-4	609
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Run-off hypothetical match-up: John Bel Edwards (D) vs. Jay Dardenne (R)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	John Edwards (D)	Jay Dardenne (R)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Public Policy Polling September 21-22, 2015	40%	42%	18%	+/-4	616
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Run-off hypothetical match-up: Scott Angelle (R) vs. David Vitter (R)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	David Vitter (R)	Scott Angelle (R)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Causeway Solutions September 13-16, 2015	32%	43.4%	24.6%	+/---	800
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Debates

November 16 debate

The final debate between Louisiana gubernatorial candidates John Bel Edwards (D) and David Vitter (R) took place at the Dunham School in Baton Rouge, La., on November 16, 2015.^[10]

The first topic of the debate was how each candidate would handle the 10,000 Syrian refugees that President Obama said the United States will accept in the coming months. Both candidates said they support Governor Bobby Jindal's executive order preventing more refugees from entering Louisiana, beyond the 14 already settled. Vitter accused Edwards, however, of siding with Obama on the issue in a recent Facebook post.^[11]

The candidates also debated character issues and tax policy.^[10]

In his closing statement, Vitter addressed allegations that he had solicited the services of prostitutes in the past, arguing that he had grown as a person. Edwards had mentioned it multiple times, directly and indirectly, throughout the evening.^[10]

November 10 debate

The two remaining candidates for Louisiana governor, David Vitter (R) and John Edwards (D), participated in a debate in Baton Rouge. Topics at the November 10, 2015, debate included health insurance, K-12 education, the state budget and infrastructure and various campaign controversies. The debate lasted for one hour.^[12]

See also: Fact-checking John Bel Edwards on David Vitter's legislative record

November 9 debate

Gubernatorial Debate at Baton Rouge Press Club (November 9, 2015)

January 16 forum

Gubernatorial candidates Scott Angelle (R), Jay Dardenne (R), David Vitter (R) and John Edwards (D) opened Louisiana's election season with a largely congenial forum. All four candidates shared similar thoughts on funding for transportation and the state police along with the legacy of term-limited Gov. Bobby Jindal (R). Dardenne criticized the state's approach to new transportation projects, arguing that it was unsustainable and too political. Each candidate agreed that the state police should see decreases in their allotment from the transportation trust fund, which is funded by gas taxes. Vitter, a sitting U.S. senator, criticized Jindal for his budgeting practices and argued that the governor had used his position as a springboard to seek the presidency.^[13]

The biggest source of disagreement on January 16 was the state's financial support for parish transportation costs. Angelle and Edwards noted that parish governments needed state transportation aid because of their inability to generate enough revenue for local projects. Dardenne argued that current local aid, equaling more than one cent per dollar in gas taxes, needed to be decreased to preserve the state fund.^[13]

Criticism of Vitter

On the campaign trail, Vitter's opponents accused him of deliberately skipping television debates and other unscripted general-public events. Dardenne accused Vitter of not wanting to "talk to the voters of Louisiana."^[14] Edwards answered a question about what he admired about his opponents by indirectly criticizing Vitter: "We have developed a pretty good relationship really over the years, but over this year particularly because we actually show up to forums and debates."^[14]

Vitter responded that his duties in Washington, D.C., preclude him from making every campaign event. He said his opponents "want to have it both ways," also criticizing him for missing minor votes to campaign.^[14] “I’m doing my job that I was elected to do. I’m not going to neglect that in any way,” he said.^[14]

Vitter, a frontrunner in the race along with Edwards, had missed two out of three TV debates as of October 11, 2015. He agreed to participate in a debate on October 15, but he appeared likely to skip three later debates leading up to the election.^[14]

Campaign media

General

John Bel Edwards

John Bel Edwards ad: "The Choice" (November 6, 2015)

John Bel Edwards ad: "David Vitter was AWOL" (November 17, 2015)

David Vitter

David Vitter ad: "Can't Afford" (November 16, 2015)

David Vitter spot: "Party Bus" (November 16, 2015)

Louisiana Families First

Louisiana Families First ad: "Like Bobby" (November 17, 2015)

GumboPAC

GumboPAC ad: "Spygate" (November 17, 2015)

Primary

Scott Angelle

Scott Angelle ad (February 23, 2015)

Scott Angelle ad (February 26, 2015)

Scott Angelle ad (April 16, 2015)

Scott Angelle ad: Morning (September 17, 2015)

John Bel Edwards

John Bel Edwards ad: The Only Candidate Who Will #PutLouisianaFirst (September 21, 2015)

David Vitter

David Vitter ad: Dangerous (September 19, 2015)

David Vitter ad: Twins (September 19, 2015)

Gumbo PAC

Gumbo PAC was established with the "expressed purpose of targeting U.S. Sen. David Vitter’s bid to become the next governor of Louisiana."^[15]

Gumbo PAC ad: David Vitter - DC's Finest (May 13, 2015)

Louisiana Water Coalition PAC

The Louisiana Water Coalition PAC did not identify any specific candidate the organization supports, but it began running anti-Vitter ads in mid-September 2015.^[16]

Louisiana Water Coalition PAC ad: Deplorable Vitter (September 21, 2015)

Campaign finance

Third quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $2,685,411.34 and spent a total of $3,535,658.92 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on September 25, 2015.^[17]

Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
Candidate	Office	Beginning balance	Contributions	Expenditures	Ending balance
David Vitter	Governor of Louisiana	$5,036,128.60	$839,256.29	$1,817,430.51	$4,056,066.63
Scott Angelle	Governor of Louisiana	$1,041,264.83	$619,962.04	$593,877.65	$1,046,210.64
Jay Dardenne	Governor of Louisiana	$1,863,338.32	$376,345.21	$604,699.33	$1,619,108.36
John Edwards	Governor of Louisiana	$1,071,207.26	$841,974.24	$516,506.89	$1,383,344.03
Cary Deaton	Governor of Louisiana	$218.54	$1,100.71	$1,319.25	$0.00
Eric Paul Orgeron	Governor of Louisiana	$0.00	$1,572.85	$1,230.29	$342.56
Beryl Billiot	Governor of Louisiana	$100.53	$5,200.00	$595.00	$4,705.53
Grand Total Raised					$2,685,411.34
Grand Total Spent					$3,535,658.92

Second quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $2,785,400.33 and spent a total of $1,873,096.62 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on September 25, 2015.^[18]

Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
Candidate	Office	Beginning balance	Contributions	Expenditures	Ending balance
David Vitter	Governor of Louisiana	$4,210,300.47	$1,343,769.29	$510,582.33	$5,036,128.60
Scott Angelle	Governor of Louisiana	$1,201,137.27	$787,933.00	$922,153.99	$1,041,264.83
Jay Dardenne	Governor of Louisiana	$1,854,112.97	$407,657.97	$379,492.62	$1,863,338.32
John Edwards	Governor of Louisiana	$894,173.86	$246,040.07	$60,196.00	$1,071,207.26
Cary Deaton	Governor of Louisiana	$890.22	$0.00	$671.68	$218.54
Beryl Billiot	Governor of Louisiana	$100.53	$0.00	$0.00	$100.53
Grand Total Raised					$2,785,400.33
Grand Total Spent					$1,873,096.62

First quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $2,539,527.28 and spent a total of $1,598,135.31 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on May 4, 2015.^[19]

Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
Candidate	Office	Beginning balance	Contributions	Expenditures	Ending balance
David Vitter	Governor of Louisiana	$3,504,174.14	$1,144,275.20	$431,810.24	$4,210,300.47
Scott Angelle	Governor of Louisiana	$1,431,310.95	$641,686.04	$851,911.00	$1,201,137.27
Jay Dardenne	Governor of Louisiana	$1,549,526.30	$520,925.40	$198,848.13	$1,854,112.97
John Edwards	Governor of Louisiana	$784,919.30	$230,140.64	$113,781.44	$894,173.86
Cary Deaton	Governor of Louisiana	$0.00	$2,500.00	$1,609.78	$890.22
Beryl Billiot	Governor of Louisiana	$275.25	$0.00	$174.72	$100.53
Grand Total Raised					$2,539,527.28
Grand Total Spent					$1,598,135.31

Annual report (2014)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $6,699,634.53 and spent a total of $1,267,092.55 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on February 19, 2015.^[20]

Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
Candidate	Office	Beginning balance	Contributions	Expenditures	Ending balance
David Vitter	Governor of Louisiana	$0	$4,107,597.72	$600,212.83	$3,504,174.14
Scott Angelle	Governor of Louisiana	$175,574.96	$1,516,900.82	$232,370.28	$1,431,310.95
Jay Dardenne	Governor of Louisiana	$1,225,114.71	$690,128.62	$326,051.28	$1,549,526.30
John Edwards	Governor of Louisiana	$474,725.46	$385,007.37	$108,458.16	$745,894.30
Grand Total Raised					$6,699,634.53
Grand Total Spent					$1,267,092.55

Endorsements

Jay Dardenne

• Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand^[21]

John Bel Edwards

• Louisiana Democratic Party: Edwards was endorsed by the Louisiana Democratic Party on March 28, 2015.^[22]
• Louisiana AFL-CIO^[23]
• The Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee^[24]
• The Louisiana Federation of Teachers^[25]
• Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne: Jay Dardenne (R), who lost to David Vitter in the primary, endorsed Edwards in early November. In his endorsement, Dardenne argued that Vitter and Governor Bobby Jindal (R) had damaged the party in the state and that Edwards could unify the state.^[26]

David Vitter

• U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky)^[27]
• U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana)^[28]
• U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany (R-Louisiana)^[29]
• Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel^[29]
• Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund^[30]
• Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Florida)^[31]
• Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania)^[32]
• U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)^[32]

Note: The endorsements above may not reflect all endorsements made in this race. Those displayed are the endorsements that Ballotpedia staff is aware of at this time. To submit additional endorsements for inclusion, please e-mail the State Executive Team.

Past elections

Louisiana is one of four states that uses a top-two primary, which allows all candidates to run and all voters to vote but only moves the top two vote-getters—regardless of party affiliation—to the general election. In Louisiana, the runoff general election is only required if no candidate receives 50 percent or more of the primary vote. If the runoff election is not needed, the race is decided with the one election (acting as both the primary and the general election).^[33][34]

2011

Governor of Louisiana, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bobby Jindal Incumbent	65.8%	673,239
	Democratic	Tara Hollis	17.9%	182,925
	Democratic	Cary Deaton	4.9%	50,071
	Democratic	Trey Roberts	3.3%	33,280
	Independent	David Blanchard	2.6%	26,705
	Democratic	Niki Bird Papazoglakis	2.1%	21,885
	Libertarian	Scott Lewis	1.2%	12,528
	Independent	Robert Lang, Jr.	0.9%	9,109
	Independent	Ron Caesar	0.8%	8,179
	Independent	Leonard Bollingham	0.5%	5,242
Total Votes				1,023,163
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

2007

Governor of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2007
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bobby Jindal	53.9%	699,275
	Democratic	Walter J Boasso	17.5%	226,476
	Nonpartisan	John Georges	14.4%	186,682
	Democratic	Foster Campbell	12.5%	161,665
	Democratic	Mary Volentine Smith	0.5%	5,868
	Independent	B. Alexandrenko	0.4%	4,791
	Independent	Anthony "Tony G" Gentile	0.3%	3,372
	Libertarian	T. Lee Horne III	0.2%	2,648
	Nonpartisan	Sheldon Forest	0.2%	2,323
	Democratic	M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza	0.2%	2,080
	Democratic	Hardy Parkerson	0.1%	1,666
	Nonpartisan	Arthur D. "Jim" Nichols	0.1%	994
Total Votes				1,297,840
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

2003

Governor of Louisiana, General Election, 2003
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kathleen Blanco	51.9%	731,358
	Republican	Bobby Jindal	48.1%	676,484
Total Votes				1,407,842
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

Governor's duties

See also: Article IV, Louisiana Constitution

The governor has the right to grant reprieves, issue pardons, commute sentences, and return fines and forfeitures for crimes against the state. In this role, the governor serves as the court of last resort.^[35]

Additionally, the governor serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the state, except when they are called into service of the federal government. He may call these forces to preserve law and order, to suppress insurrection, to repel invasion or in other times of emergency.^[35]

At the outset of each regular legislative session, the governor must give an address to the General Assembly, including the condition of the state and its finances. The governor may also include recommendations in his or her address and make such addresses at other times, such as at the commencement of an extraordinary session.^[35]

The governor also submits a budget to the legislature and may compel reports from department heads on any matter, save investigations into the governor's office.^[35]

Other duties and privileges of the office include:^[35]

• A line-item veto

• The power to make appointments, including recess appointments, with Senate confirmation

• Removing, at pleasure, any appointees who are serving

State profile

Demographic data for Louisiana
	Louisiana	U.S.
Total population:	4,668,960	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	43,204	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	62.8%	73.6%
Black/African American:	32.1%	12.6%
Asian:	1.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.6%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	1.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	4.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	83.4%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	22.5%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$45,047	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	23.3%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Louisiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Louisiana

Louisiana voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

More Louisiana coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Louisiana
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Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Louisiana governor election 2015. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

Governor	State Executive Elections	News and Analysis
Governors State Executive Offices State Executive Officials	2014 • 2015 • 2016	Responses to Obergefell v. Hodges State of the state addresses State Executives Compensation

External links

• Governor of Louisiana

Footnotes

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	v • e State of Louisiana Baton Rouge (capital)
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