Editing Edwin Edwards (section)

==Defeat: Edwards vs. Roemer, 1987==
Several notable candidates lined up to face Edwards in the [[1987 Louisiana gubernatorial election|1987 gubernatorial election]]. Perhaps his strongest early challenger was Republican Congressman [[Bob Livingston]]. Also in the race were [[Billy Tauzin]], a then-Democratic Cajun congressman from [[Thibodaux, Louisiana|Thibodaux]] who was a strong Edwards supporter while serving in the state legislature from 1972 to 1980; Democratic secretary of state [[James H. "Jim" Brown|Jim Brown]] of [[Ferriday, Louisiana|Ferriday]], and a Democratic congressman from [[Bossier City, Louisiana|Bossier City]], [[Buddy Roemer]], the son of former Commissioner of Administration Charles Roemer, who climbed up from a series of low poll rankings early in the campaign.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

==="Anyone But Edwards"===
Edwards was the issue of the campaign. Because of his name recognition, his resilient supporters, and unmatched political skill, even a weakened Edwards could safely assume he would win a place in Louisiana's unique primary election system runoff. The question was whether his opponent in the runoff would be someone who could beat him.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

There was a prevailing sense in the race that Edwards needed Livingston in the runoff. Livingston was a Republican in a state that had at that point elected only one Republican governor since [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]]. And Livingston was widely perceived as lacking in charisma and personality, which would work to Edwards's advantage. Any other opponent, a moderate Democrat without the ethical problems, would be dangerous. To that end, Edwards talked up Livingston. Perhaps the key moment in the 1987 race came at a forum between the candidates. As usual, the main topic of discussion was Edwin Edwards. His challengers were asked, in succession, if they would consider endorsing Edwards in the general election if they did not make it to the runoff. The candidates hedged, particularly Secretary of State Brown, a reliable Edwards supporter in the state Senate who in his 1979 election drew many of the same voters who supported fellow Democrat [[Louis Lambert (politician)|Louis Lambert]] in his failed gubernatorial bid in the same general election vs. Treen. The last candidate to speak was Buddy Roemer: "No, we've got to slay the dragon. I would endorse anyone but Edwards." The next day, as political commentator John Maginnis put it, Jim Brown was explaining his statement while Buddy Roemer was ordering "Slay the Dragon" buttons. Boosted by his endorsement as the 'good government candidate' by nearly every newspaper in the state, Roemer stormed from last place in the polls and on election night, overtook Edwin Edwards and placed first in the primary election, with 33 percent of the vote compared with Edwards' 28 percent. This marked the first time Edwin Edwards ever finished other than in first place in an election.

In what seemed to be the end of Edwards' political career, the governor withdrew from the contest in his concession speech, automatically electing [[Buddy Roemer]] governor. In fact, he was cleverly setting a trap for Roemer. By withdrawing, Edwards denied Roemer the opportunity to build a governing coalition in the general election race, and denied him the decisive majority victory that he surely would have attained. In one stroke, Edwards made Buddy Roemer a minority governor. Also, Edwards virtually ceded control of the state to Roemer even before his inauguration. By doing so, he passed on the burden of the state's problems to the new governor, who was essentially under the gun even before assuming office. For four years, Roemer struggled to be a reform governor of Louisiana as so many had before him. And although virtually no one realized it at the time, Edwin Edwards quietly waited in the wings for a return to power.