But such are the divisions in the GOP that many Republicans cast their lot with Edwards, including outgoing Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, who endorsed the Democrat in the runoff. So, painting Vitter as a successor to Jindal was a good move for the Edwards campaign-failing to distance himself from Jindal was something that Vitter did poorly. There is no shortage of potential candidates in that race who don’t have the baggage Angelle now carries, or the burning desire of the Vitter faction to take him out. A line of Republicans interested in the seat has already formed.
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Democrats in Louisiana are rejoicing as they reclaimed the governor’s mansion for the first time in eight years. Mr. Vitter was thought to be that Republican, given his overwhelming fund-raising advantage, unquestioned conservative reputation and proven skill at crushing challengers.
But the race shifted dramatically in recent months as Vitter clashed with other Republican candidates and Edwards cast him as no different than Jindal in a state that is struggling economically.
Let’s start with the current political environment in Louisiana, for example.
Vitter said he only lost one political campaign in his life.
On Saturday night in a run-off election to replace Bobby Jindal, Democrat John Bel Edwards defeated Republican Sen.
Rather than a race about the state’s deep financial troubles, the contest for governor largely became about Vitter, who has been in elected office, first as a state lawmaker and then in Congress, for more than 20 years.
The Republican coasted to an easy victory Saturday against East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden, a Democrat, after fighting for his spot in the runoff.
Republicans immediately tried to play down the loss as an isolated event.
But the governor’s race was different. Two Republican House members, Charles Boustany and John Fleming, had openly angled for appointment to the Senate by Vitter, had he won. David Vitter was set up at a hotel near the airport, while John Bel Edwards lodged in the historic Monteleone Hotel in the French Quarter.
Kennedy was also angling for the appointment to Vitter’s Senate seat, if Vitter had been elected governor.
In an interview after Vitter’s announcement, Kennedy declined to say whether he would run for the office now that Vitter is stepping down. Noting the nastiness of the campaign in his victory speech, Mr Edwards said voters in Louisiana had “chosen hope over scorn, over negativity and over the distrust of others”.
Not everyone who might jump into the Senate race next year would be a Vitter ally. Edwards’ goal of building a governing coalition is going to be hard enough after that, but it will be impossible unless winners and losers of the weekend demonstrate Vitter’s graciousness and commitment to moving forward.
Democrats will seek to convince themselves that Edwards’ victory is somehow the “turn of the tide” and represents a comeback for the party that will carry over into 2016.
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Vitter began the election cycle almost two years ago as the clear favorite. A UNO survey taken after the primary showed Jindal with a disapproval rate of a staggering 70 percent and the governor polling far lower than either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in a red state.
