What Now? Louisiana GOP Loses Top Contender for Governor [View all]

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — By sidestepping the Louisiana governor's race, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy denied Republicans a popular, high-profile candidate to pit against Democratic incumbent John Bel Edwards, renewing speculation about whether the GOP can rally around one main contender in 2019.

The list of Republicans considering a challenge to Edwards shortened in recent weeks, as most seemed willing to step aside for Kennedy, a popular figure in Louisiana with impressive fundraising prowess.

But Kennedy's decision against entering the race threatened to start a free-for-all of governor wannabes jumping into a competition Republicans hope will unseat the only Democratic governor in the Deep South.

"There's no challenger on the horizon who brought to the table the power and name recognition and popularity of a John Kennedy," said Baton Rouge-based pollster Bernie Pinsonat. "It'll be interesting to see how this develops."

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/louisiana/articles/2018-12-04/what-now-louisiana-gop-loses-top-contender-for-governor