I have served on committees with Edwards, interacted with him on a daily basis and I am very familiar with his political philosophies and positions which are out of step with most of the people of Louisiana. For example, I watched this year as he rallied the Democratic caucus in support of a $450 million cut to higher education. If he had been successful at rallying a few more votes, several Louisiana universities including LSU medical school in Shreveport would have been facing closure this year. This is not merely an accusation or political posturing. It is a fact.

In his eight years in the legislature, John Bel Edwards has never voted AGAINST a tax increase. Not even once! Literally every single tax increase that has come to the House floor a vote has received his support. This year alone, he led the fight and passed a $700 million tax increase on Louisiana businesses and working families. Every time a tax bill is debated, Edwards is one of the first to the floor to argue why Louisiana citizens need to be paying more of their hard earned income to the government. This has all been done knowing that Governor Jindal would veto any tax increase without a corresponding offset. But that did not stop him. He was right there fighting tooth and nail for every tax increase that he could get. Which begs the question: how much would he increase our tax burden as governor? That is something that is truly scary to think about and something that we simply can’t afford.

Another troubling aspect of a new “Governor Edwards” administration would be the activists he puts into key positions of power. His campaign is literally being run and funded almost exclusively by union bosses and trial lawyers. If you want labor unions to run the Capitol, then you might like another Governor Edwards. If you want to continue paying the highest car insurance rates in the nation while trial lawyers (like John Bel Edwards) continue to pad their pockets at your expense, then you might like another Governor Edwards.

His record of supporting tax increases and opposing job creation has earned Edwards the second worst voting record in the entire history of the Louisiana Legislature (besting only Cleo Fields). By comparison, Edwards’ voting record is considerably more liberal than that of Mary Landrieu. Let that sink in for a second. By comparison, Edwards’ voting record is considerably more liberal than that of Mary Landrieu.

In his eight years in the legislature, Edwards has consistently shown that his values are very different from the vast majority of the people of Louisiana. He has championed Obamacare and pushed for Medicaid expansion. He has earned a lifetime failing grade from Louisiana Family Forum and is one of their lowest rated legislators ever. He voted to give government pensions to convicted felons while they are still in prison. He has cast many anti-2nd Amendment votes increasing government restrictions on gun rights. He voted to more than double his own salary at tax payer expense. He has consistently voted against the rights of Christians to exercise their sincerely held religious beliefs without the fear of government retribution, and he led the fight to defeat Mike Johnson’s religious liberties bill earlier this year. He wants voters to believe that he is pro-life, but he supports using your tax dollars to fund Planned Parenthood and calls abortion “freedom of choice.” He also authored anti-Life legislation to legalize fetal experimentation. I could go on and on, but will stop at simply saying that electing another “Governor Edwards” would be a disaster for the state of Louisiana much like the election of Obama has been a disaster for our nation.

Thankfully, we have an alternative. David Vitter has a voting record in the Louisiana Legislature and the US Senate which is fundamentally different from that of Edwards. David Vitter has consistently voted to reduce the tax burden on businesses and working families so that they can keep more of their hard earned income. He has worked tirelessly to ensure consistent funding for higher education and has pledged to keep LSU Medical School in Shreveport open. David Vitter has opposed trial lawyers and the expansion of the influence of far left labor unions. David Vitter has also stood up for the rights of Christians to exercise their sincerely held religious beliefs without fear of government intervention or retribution. In short, David Vitter has spent his entire career fighting FOR you and your freedom while John Bel Edwards has spent his entire career fighting AGAINST you.

Before you cast a vote on November 21 in the Louisiana Governor’s race, I urge you to look into the policies, positions, votes and careers of the two candidates. Any objective observation will clearly show that Louisiana needs David Vitter, and simply can not afford another Governor Edwards.