Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards Wins Second Term In Runoff

NEW ORLEANS, LA — John Bel Edwards won his second term as governor of Louisiana in a runoff election on Saturday. He defeated Republican Eddie Rispone.

The runoff was necessary after neither candidate broke 50 percent in last month's election. The Washington Post reports that Edwards picked up 51 percent of the votes, beating Rispone by about 40,000 out of more than 1.5 million votes.

“We both agreed that the time for campaigning is over,” The Post quoted Edwards saying about Rispone. "And now our shared love for Louisiana is always more important than the partisan differences that sometimes divide us.”

Edwards's victory is the second victory for a Democratic candidate for governor in a southern state in as many weeks. Andy Beshear unseated Matt Bevin in Kentucky.

» Read more on The Washington Post.