John Bel Edwards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Bel Edwards
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Edwards in 2021
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| 56th Governor of Louisiana | |
| In office January 11, 2016 – January 8, 2024 |
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| Lieutenant | Billy Nungesser |
| Preceded by | Bobby Jindal |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Landry |
| Minority Leader of the Louisiana House of Representatives | |
| In office January 10, 2012 – December 10, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Jane Smith |
| Succeeded by | Gene Reynolds |
| Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 72nd district |
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| In office January 14, 2008 – December 10, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Robby Carter |
| Succeeded by | Robby Carter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 16, 1966 East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Donna Hutto
(m. 1989) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) Louisiana State University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1988–1996 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 25th Infantry Division 82nd Airborne Division |
John Bel Edwards (born September 16, 1966) is an American politician, lawyer, and former Army soldier who served as the 56th governor of Louisiana from 2016 to 2024. As a member of the Democratic Party, he was the leader of the Democrats in the Louisiana House of Representatives before becoming governor.
Edwards grew up in Amite, Louisiana. He attended the famous United States Military Academy at West Point and served for eight years as an officer in the Army. After his military service, he became a lawyer.
In 2015, he was elected governor of Louisiana and was reelected in 2019. During his time as governor, he expanded the state's healthcare program, worked to lower the number of people in prison, and led the state through the COVID-19 pandemic and major hurricanes. After leaving office, he returned to working as a lawyer.
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Early Life and Military Service
John Bel Edwards was born on September 16, 1966, in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. He grew up in the town of Amite. His father, Frank M. Edwards, Jr., was the sheriff of Tangipahoa Parish. John graduated from Amite High School in 1984 as the top student in his class.
After high school, Edwards went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. This is one of the most respected military schools in the country. He studied engineering and graduated in 1988.
Edwards served for eight years in the United States Army. He was an officer in the infantry, which is the branch of the army that fights on foot. He was part of the 25th Infantry Division and the famous 82nd Airborne Division. He became a Captain and was in charge of a company of soldiers. He left the army in 1996 to be closer to his family in Louisiana.
Law Career and State Politics
After leaving the Army, Edwards went to law school at Louisiana State University. He earned his law degree in 1999. He then worked as a law clerk for a judge before starting his own law firm in his hometown of Amite.
In 2007, Edwards decided to enter politics. He ran for a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, which is part of the state's government that makes laws. He won the election and began serving in 2008.
As a representative, he became known for questioning Governor Bobby Jindal's decisions. In 2011, he was easily reelected. His fellow Democrats chose him to be their leader in the House, which is called the Minority Leader.
Governor of Louisiana
In 2013, Edwards announced he would run for governor of Louisiana. A governor is the leader of a state's government, much like the president is the leader of the country.
Winning the Governor's Office
The election for governor was held in 2015. Edwards was the main Democratic candidate. He faced several Republican candidates, including U.S. Senator David Vitter. In the first round of voting, Edwards came in first place, but he did not get more than half the votes. This meant he had to face the second-place candidate, David Vitter, in a final runoff election.
In the final election on November 21, 2015, Edwards defeated Vitter, winning with 56.1% of the vote. He became the new governor of Louisiana in January 2016.
Reelection in 2019
In 2019, Edwards ran for a second term as governor. He faced Republican businessman Eddie Rispone. The election was very close and received attention from across the country. Then-President Donald Trump visited Louisiana to support Rispone.
Despite the close race, Edwards won the election. He became the first Democratic governor in Louisiana to win a second term in a row since 1975.
Actions as Governor
As governor, Edwards made many important decisions for Louisiana.
- Healthcare: In 2016, he expanded Medicaid, a government program that provides health insurance. This helped hundreds of thousands of adults in Louisiana get healthcare coverage.
- Fairness in the Workplace: He signed an order to protect LGBTQ people from being treated unfairly at their jobs in state government.
- Justice System Reform: Edwards supported new laws to lower Louisiana's prison population. The laws shortened sentences for some people in prison who had shown good behavior.
- Teacher Pay: In 2019, he worked to get teachers and school workers a pay raise for the first time in ten years.
- Disaster Response: He led the state's response to major disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020 and powerful storms like Hurricane Ida in 2021.
- National Motto: In 2023, he signed a law requiring all public schools to display the national motto, "In God We Trust", in every classroom.
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Personal Life
Edwards is married to Donna Hutto. They married in 1989. Donna has a degree in business and worked as a teacher. Together, they have three children: two daughters, Sarah and Samantha, and a son, John Miller.
The Edwards family is Catholic. Politics runs in the family. His father was a sheriff, and his brother, Daniel H. Edwards, is the current sheriff of Tangipahoa Parish.
Images for kids
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Edwards speaking at a press conference in Lafayette, Louisiana, August 2016
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See also
In Spanish: John B. Edwards para niños
