Black groups across the state have been waging a vigorous attempt to encourage black voter participation in the November 16th Gubernatorial election in the state.
For Governor John Bel Edwards, that push is extremely important because black voters who make the majority of his base did not turnout in force for his October 12 election.
To change that, the Governor, who received 46.6% of the vote last month, rolled at a targeted strategy to mobilize black voters focusing on the black elected officials and clerical leaders.
The new initiative called “Souls to the Polls” has challenged church leaders to work precincts close their churches to help the governor.
That effort was supercharged after President Donald Trump came to Monroe last week campaigning for the governor’s opponent. In a rally that attracted about 12,000 participants, President Trump encouraged Republicans to come out in numbers to defeat the governor.
Trump, who is highly unpopular in the Black community, lit a fire under black leaders. Church vans rolled every day across the state during Early Voting and black voters noted a ten percent increase in early voting over the primary.
That increase resulted in Democrats netting a higher turnout for early voting last week.
The governor has been careful not to make negative comments about President Trump because he’s counting on a small percentage of Republicans, unhappy with his opponent, to switch and support his candidacy instead.
The Trump rally in Monroe was a two hour speech from the President about his Presidential campaign. Only a few minutes were spent discussing the Louisiana Governor’s race.
As far as Blacks are concern, voting for Governor Edwards is a protest vote against Trump.
It will all be decided Saturday.
