Louisiana: Democrat John Bel Edwards Wins Governorship Over Sen. "Diaper Dave" Vitter

A little known conservative Democrat has surprised many by winning the governor's race in deep red Louisiana.

With 56% of the vote, State Representative John Bel Edwards bested U.S. Senator David Vitter in a runoff election on Saturday to become the next governor of Louisiana.

From the New York Times:

A more promising red state Democrat could hardly have been found than Mr. Edwards, a Catholic social conservative from a family of rural law enforcement officers who graduated from West Point and served eight years of active duty in the Army.

Mr. Vitter, for his part, was a problematic candidate for Republicans, even though he had been widely seen as the favorite for months. A prostitution scandal from 2007, the baggage of an unpopular Republican incumbent, Gov. Bobby Jindal, and a series of state political foes with long memories dragged Mr. Vitter down before an Oct. 24 primary. He never recovered.

Vitter told supporters last night that he will not be running for reelection for his Senate seat in 2016.

Check out one of the campaign ads that Edwards ran against "Diaper Dave."