Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Monday received a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump following his nail-biting re-election over Republican businessman Eddie Rispone over the weekend, reports The Hill.
Trump fought to return the seat to the GOP and Republicans were banking on a victory on the strength of the president's popularity. But Edwards beat Rispone by getting about 51% of the votes.
"The president congratulated the Governor and said he was looking forward to working with him," Edwards' spokesman Richard Carbo said in a statement to the news outlet.
In a victory rally Saturday, Edwards thanked supporters and declared, "How sweet it is!"
He added, "And as for the president, God bless his heart" — a phrase often used by well-mannered Southerners to politely denounce someone.
"Tonight the people of Louisiana have chosen to chart their own path," Edwards said.
Trump, during a rally in Louisiana on Thursday, called Edwards a "tool" of Democrats in D.C. and likened him to a "radical leftist."
"A vote for John Bel Edwards is a vote for radical leftists who despise your values, hate your beliefs, and want to crush the workers of the state," Trump told the crowd.
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