Editing Edwin Edwards (section)

==1971–1972 campaign for governor==
[[File:Edwin Edwards.jpg|thumb|left|Edwards as Congressman, circa 1969]]

In the [[Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1971-72|election of 1971–1972]], Edwards won the governorship after finishing first in a field of seventeen candidates in the Democratic primary, including the final race of former governor [[Jimmie Davis]] and [[Gillis William Long|Gillis Long]], a relative of Huey Long. His greatest support came from southern Louisiana, particularly among its large numbers of Cajun, Creole, and African-American voters.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Both Edwards and Johnston ran on reform-oriented platforms during the primary, but Edwards was more adept at making political deals and building alliances for the runoff round of voting. Edwards said that the major philosophical difference that he held with Johnston was in regard to their "awareness of problems of the poor".<ref>Leo Honeycutt, ''Edwin Edwards: Governor of Louisiana'', Lisburn Press, 2009, p. 104</ref> Johnston won the endorsement of Edwards' legislative colleague, [[Joe D. Waggonner]] of [[Bossier Parish]], but the Shreveport state senator declined to accept Edwards' offer of a televised debate between the two.<ref>Honeycutt, p. 81</ref>

[[Bill Dodd]], who was defeated for state superintendent of education in the same election cycle that Edwards was winning the governorship in for the first time, attributed the Edwards victory in part to political kingmaker [[Louis J. Roussel Jr.]], of New Orleans. According to Dodd, Roussel "can do more than any other individual in Louisiana to elect any candidate he supports for any office in this state.&nbsp;... He is such a good administrator and motivator that he can put together an organization that will win in business and in politics."<ref>[[Bill Dodd]], ''Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Politics'' (Baton Rouge: Claitor's Publishing, 1991), p. 158</ref>