FOX 8 Exclusive Gubernatorial Runoff Poll

NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) -An exclusive FOX 8 News poll days ahead of the Louisiana Gubernatorial runoff election reveals incumbent Democrat John Bel Edwards with a slim lead over Republican Eddie Rispone. The poll of 625 registered Louisiana voters shows Edwards with 48 percent of the vote while Rispone has 46 percent.

Six percent say they are still undecided with less than a week to the Nov. 16 election.

The race could come down to which candidate gets his voters to the polls and who Republican Ralph Abraham’s voters in the primary will support. 94 percent of those who voted for Edwards in the primary say they will back him again, while 92 percent of Rispone voters will support him.

85 percent of those who say they voted for Abraham in the primary indicate they will vote for Rispone, while 10 percent will back Edwards.

When it comes to those who didn’t vote in the primary and say they will vote in the runoff election, Edwards holds a 47 percent to 44 percent lead over Rispone.

While President Donald Trump has stumped in Louisiana for Rispone, the poll asked if you voted for Trump in the 2016 election who would you support in this race?

81 percent of Trump voters from 2016 say they will cast their vote for Rispone while 15 percent say they will cross party lines to vote for Edwards. 4% of those voters say they are undecided.

Support for Edwards is highest in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas with 56 percent and 55 percent respectively. Rispone’s strength is concentrated in South Central and Northern Louisiana where 57 percent and 54 percent respectively say they will vote Republican.

The vote is split along racial lines with 92 percent of black voters say they will vote for Edwards with only two percent for Rispone. 66 percent of white voters choose Rispone with 28 percent behind Edwards. Six percent of white and black voters are undecided.

When it comes to gender, more men prefer Rispone to Edwards 51% to 44%, while women give Edwards a nine-point advantage, 51% to 42%.

On the question of Edwards job performance as governor 54 percent across the state say they approve while 38 percent disapprove. When you break it down, it’s again split along party and race. 39 percent of whites approve of Edwards performance while 53 percent disapprove with eight percent saying they were not sure.

88 percent of blacks approve while only three percent disapprove with nine percent not sure.

The poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy on behalf of the six Louisiana Gray Television stations, which includes FOX 8, has a margin error of four percent.

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