Congressman Ralph Abraham enters Louisiana governor's race
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham jumped into the Louisiana governor's race Thursday, becoming the second Republican to announce he'll challenge Democratic incumbent John Bel Edwards in the 2019 election and ensuring a fractured GOP field.
The congressman's decision comes a month after he won re-election to a third term in the U.S. House and only days after U.S. Sen. John Kennedy declared he wouldn't run against Edwards. Abraham hopes his quick decision upon Kennedy's exit will keep other possible Republican contenders away from the race and rally GOP support for him.
"I'm running for governor, and I intend to win," Abraham said in a brief statement announcing that he'll have an official campaign launch early next year.
A family medicine doctor from rural northeast Louisiana, Abraham joins wealthy Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone as the Republican contenders vying to keep Edwards from a second term. Rispone, a first-time office-seeker, has said he's willing to spend $5 million of his own cash on the race, while Abraham will have to rely more heavily on donors for his campaign.
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