Gov. John Bel Edwards, in a new interview with a Washington-based news outlet, describes this fall's U.S. Senate race as a "wild scene" but cautions that his win in conservative Louisiana doesn't mean an easy ride for the Democrats who are hoping to replicate his success.
"I happen to believe there's a difference politically between state and local elections," Edwards told National Journal in a Q&A out Wednesday. "And I think the party designation in the past, at least historically, has been more of a determining factor in the outcome in the federal election for Congress or for Senate."
Edwards' National Journal Q&A touches on on the state's finances, Democrats in the Deep South, Medicaid expansion and the catastrophic flooding that has swept the state.
Twenty-four candidates are vying for Louisiana's U.S. Senate seat that's being vacated by Republican David Vitter, who decided not to see re-election after he was beaten by Edwards in last fall's governor's race.
The two major Democrats in the U.S. Senate race are touting high-level endorsements this wee…
Edwards, a Democrat who took office in January, has endorsed Democrat Foster Campbell, who currently serves on the state Public Service Commission. Meanwhile, some other Democrats, including New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, are backing Democrat Caroline Fayard.
In the National Journal interview, Edwards didn't name-check his pick, but said he expects a Republican-Democrat match up in the December runoff, despite the state's unique jungle primary system that sends the top two vote-getters to the runoff, regardless of party.
"(W)e have some good Democrats running, and one of them will be in the runoff, and we'll just see who," Edwards said. "I mean, there's two dozen candidates running in Louisiana. It's kind of a wild scene."
Check out National Journal for the full Q&A (subscription required).