Article snippet: The runoff election between incumbent Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards and Republican challenger Eddie Rispone will be held next Saturday, November 16. Edwards was forced into a runoff when he finished below the 50 percent mark in the October 12 “jungle primary” election, setting up the runoff with second-place finisher Rispone. The most recent polls show the race to be a statistical tie. An analysis of early voting results conducted by Louisiana-based JMC Analytics suggests that both Democrats and Republicans are energized by the contest: “What all of this analysis means in practical terms,” JMC Analytics concludes, “is that because of (1) the decrease in white Democrats/white Independents and (2) the relatively high Republican early vote, an Edwards poll lead of 50-47% over Rispone would become 50-46% Edwards/Rispone if the poll results were recalculated to reflect the demographic composition of the early vote.” The heavy turnout on both sides suggests that the outcome of Saturday’s contest remains in doubt. One unusual aspect of the race has been Edwards’ attempt to associate himself with the very popular #2-ranked LSU football team, which beat long-time rival, #3 ranked Alabama, on Saturday, 46 to 41. As Breitbart News reported, LSU’s head football coach, Ed Orgeron, the highest-paid employee in Louisiana’s state government, endorsed Edwards’ reelection bid in April. Many Republicans have roundly criticized that endorsement as inappropriate. Last week, before t... Link to the full article to read more