Former Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he wouldn’t run for Senate in 2026.
The announcement could be a death blow for Democratic hopes in the deep-red state as they search for a suitable candidate to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). The party had been urging him to run for months, but in a series of posts on X, the former governor announced he had ultimately decided against it.
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“After giving it careful consideration, we have decided that now is not the right time to re-enter public office. After eight years in the Governor’s Office, and with two grandbabies at home, we’re committed to being the best Papa and Nonna we can be,” Edwards said.
“As a country, the path we’re headed down is troubling, to say the least. I hope that in next year’s election, the people of LA will reject the extremist politicians that have paralyzed progress in this nation. I’m going to do all I can as a private citizen to advance that cause,” he added.
Edwards’s refusal leaves a vacant primary field for a Democrat to fill. Few believe the party has a chance in the 2026 election.
Edwards shocked analysts after he won two terms as governor in the heavily Republican state of Louisiana, only leaving office when he was term-limited. Democrats hoped to use his appeal to scrape back another Senate seat.
The only challenges Cassidy faces are from the Right, with state Sen. Blake Miguez, State Treasurer John Fleming, Public Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, and Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), who have all either declared their candidacy or are viewed as likely candidates. Cassidy’s vote with Democrats against President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 riot has earned him the ire of Trump and the MAGA movement.