JBE's Backstory
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Well-known member
The Pro-Life Democrat
3:36 PM CST, Monday, November 9th, 2020
LA Governor's Mansion, Baton Rouge, LA
LA Governor John Bel Edwards (D) was working inside his office at the LA Governor's Mansion during the midpoint of his second & final term in office. Popular, moderate-to-conservative Blue Dog Democrat in a deep Red State., he made history back in November 2019 by becoming the first Dem LA Governor to win reelection since the legendary Edwin Edwards in 1975; Just days after Biden's victory in the 2020 Presidential election, many political analysts began to secretly talk up Edwards as a possible contender for the Presidency or Vice Presidency in 2024. For now, Edwards was focused on making sure all Louisianans would benefit from a massive budget surplus, strong economic growth, etc.,3:36 PM CST, Monday, November 9th, 2020
LA Governor's Mansion, Baton Rouge, LA
Born the seventh out of eight children to Sheriff Frank Jr., & Dora Jean Edwards. He grew up hunting & fishing in Amite, a rural town in Tangipahoa Parish. He & Donna Hutto began dating while students at Amite High School. After graduating the top of his class, he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. During his time at West Point, Edwards completed Airborne School & served as vice-chairman of the panel that enforces the West Point Honor Code. Edwards graduated from West Point in 1988, being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army; he served on active duty for eight years until being honorably discharged in 1996. During his eight years in the United States Army, Edwards earned Airborne, Ranger & Jumpmaster status, culminating with the command of a rifle company in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. He & Donna got married in 1989; they would become the parents of three children: Samantha Bel, Sarah Ellen & John Miller.After commanding a parachute infantry regiment in the 82nd Airborne, Edwards retired from the United States Army in 1996 with the rank of Captain & returned home to LA where he then earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Louisiana State University before opening up a civil law practice in his hometown of Amite. Wanting to do more for public service, Edwards was elected to a seat on the LA House of Representatives from District 72 in 2007 with 65% in a runoff election. He represented the people of Amite, Greensburg, Kentwood & Hammond for eight years; during his time in the LA House of Representatives, Edwards also served as Minority Leader of the LA House of Representatives from 2012 to 2015. He was the only freshman lawmaker to chair a committee in the LA State Legislature, chairing the Veterans Affairs Committee in the LA House of Representatives; he was also selected to serve as chairman of the Democratic House Caucus, which was very rare for a freshman lawmaker. He was also a staunch critic of then-LA Governor Bobby Jindal (R) for the governor's frequent trips away from LA to raising political funds for GOPers across the country while the State of LA had been cutting funding for higher education. In October 2011, Edwards overwhelmingly won reelection with 83% of the vote & served as chairman of the LA House Democratic Caucus, which made him the Minority Leader until his landslide election as LA's 56th Governor on November 21st, 2015 garnering 56% of the statewide vote defeating then-United States Senator David Vitter (R-LA).
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