With the Oct. 12 primary fast approaching, Republicans are hoping to force a runoff election as polling data shows that neither of the GOP challengers’ campaigns for governor are close to heading off incumbent Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-Alexandria) and Republican businessman Eddie Rispone are trailing Edwards, but Edwards also does not appear to have enough support to capture 50 percent plus one of the vote to win the race outright. A runoff election between the top two vote-getters would be held on Nov. 16
Abraham and Rispone are both running on regulatory and litigation reform.
Dawn Starns of the Louisiana chapter of National Federation of Indepedent Businesses NFIB told the Record that her members share the values of both Republican challengers.
"We believe either Congressman Abraham or Mr. Rispone would be a great pro-small business governor. Both candidates have backgrounds and records of understanding and supporting our state’s job creators," Starns said.
In 2015, the NFIB membership did not support Edwards, and they have been disappointed by his performance in office, she said.
“He has proven to them since his election that he does not have their best interest in mind with proposals that included tax increases, increased minimum wage and new ways to sue employers,” Starns said.
In his latest independent poll from Sept. 6, Baton Rouge pollster Bernie Pisonat puts combined support for both Republicans at just under 40 percent, well behind that of incumbent Edwards, who the Pisonat poll shows with 47 percent support.
That leaves Abraham and Rispone duking it out for second place, hoping to convince enough undecided voters to vote Republican in the primary so that they can force Edwards into a runoff next month.
Rispone has spent nearly $11 million of his personal fortune to mount his campaign. Pisonat’s poll shows him trailing Abraham by eight points. The poll shows Abraham trailing Edwards by 23 points.
The Edwards’ administration touts the state’s positive financial position at its success. Edwards announced last week that Louisiana will have an estimated $500 million budget surplus for the most recent fiscal year, significantly more than the $300 million expected. The large surplus shows the business climate in Louisiana is robust, he said.
Not so, Starns said.
“By no means do we have reason to believe that the surplus is due to a strengthening business climate. We haven’t seen any numbers that really bear that theory out,” Starns said.
“We believe the surplus is a direct result of the increased sales tax rate which small-business owners bear 100 percent of the burden for and the impact of the tax cut and jobs act passed by the federal government, “ she said.
“Due to Louisiana’s broken system of taxation, our residents and businesses did not see a full benefit (from the Trump tax cut)”, Starns said. “When federal tax rates go down, Louisiana tax rates go up.”