Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-La., on Thursday became the second Republican to announce he would challenge the incumbent Democratic governor of Louisiana.
Abraham, who in November won a third term in Congress, will vie with Republican businessman Eddie Rispone and current Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards in the gubernatorial race set for next October.
“I’m running for Governor and I intend to win,” Abraham wrote in a press release Thursday ahead of a more formal campaign launch next year.
In an interview with the News Star, Abraham added that “Louisiana deserves better than what she currently has.”
“I’m seeing businesses leaving and a governor who has been focused on raising taxes. I intend to do something about that,” he told the news outlet.
I’m running for Governor and I intend to win. https://t.co/CsUyUqKk9N
— Ralph Lee Abraham (@abraham_ralph) December 6, 2018
Abraham’s announcement follows popular Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., deciding Monday that he would not mount a bid for the governor’s mansion, opting to stay in the Senate. He was considered a favorite to unseat Edwards, who is the only Democratic state chief executive in the South after first being elected to the office in 2016.
“It is such an honor to represent the people of Louisiana in the United States Senate,” Kennedy said Monday. “Right now, that’s where I think I can do the most good.”
Abraham brought a variety of life experiences with him to Congress when he was swept into power in 2015. He was a general family doctor, veterinarian, veteran, farmer, and business owner. Abraham will not have to give up his House seat to campaign for governor.
