Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1991

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Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1991

The Contenders

Incumbent Buddy Roemer, Democrat-turned-Republican

David Duke, Republican

Former Gov. Edwin Edwards, Democrat

The Significance

Sometimes referred to as "the election from hell", this 1991 race was one of the most interesting political events of the past half-century. A stagnant economy jeopardized the re-election chances of incumbent Gov. Roemer, who switched parties in an attempt to appeal to more voters in the Republican-tending South. Voters were intent on casting their ballot against the establishment, and when ex-Klansman and neo-Nazi David Duke entered the race, they suddenly had an alternative. Fearing that Duke would defeat Roemer, former Governor Edwin Edwards, who had a long record of trouble with the law while he was in office, jumped in the race. All three ran in an open primary, under Louisiana's unique run-off system. Roemer came in third and was eliminated from the run-off election, leaving Duke and Edwards. Offered a "Crook vs. Klan" choice, Louisiana voters took to the polls. Frightened by the prospect of having a former Klansman as governor, blacks turned out in record numbers and voted for Edwards. Edwards won by a margin on more than 20 points, but the fact that Duke received nearly 40 percent of the vote was more than enough to alarm the American public.