‘People are motivated’: Republican Eddie Rispone confident as La. governor’s race nears end

BATON ROUGE, La. (WVLA/WGMB) — Eddie Rispone has been the CEO of Baton Rouge-based ISC Constructors for 30 years. But he says he’s ready of a new job — and prepared to give Louisianians new jobs, too.

Rispone, a Republican, is challenging Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards for the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion.

“Think of it this way: you’re trying to hire a CEO for a $30 billion operation,” Rispone said of the voter’s role in Saturday’s election. “Louisiana should be number-one in the South when it comes to jobs and opportunities, and we’re not.”

Rispone has injected $12.5 million of his own money into his first-ever bid for governor, which first gained household attention in an advertisement this past summer.

“I support the president now more than ever against these liberal lunatics running now,” Rispone said in his debut TV commercial, which hit airwaves in July.

The Republican likens himself to another wealthy chief executive — President Trump — and he finishes the race with the White House’s blessing.

“That’s how much I like Eddie,” Trump said at a Nov. 6 rally in Monroe, La. “You’re going to have a great new Republican tremendously successful man as your governor.”

BRProud.com’s Harrison Golden asked Rispone if the Louisiana governor’s race will serve as a bellwether of President Trump’s 2020 reelection hopes.

“I think Louisiana’s going to send a message to these liberal Democrats around the country — and those we have here, because our governor’s one of them — that they’re not going along with this agenda they have,” Rispone said.

Here’s where Rispone stands on the issues:

• Opposes abortion
• Opposes the death penalty
• Against restrictions on gun ownership
• Supports a “freeze” on Medicaid expansion
• Supports a constitutional convention, in which delegates would choose where to slim down state spending

Watch BRProud.com’s full interview with Republican gubernatorial challenger Eddie Rispone here:

The polls open Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.