![]() Donna and I send our deepest condolences to his wife, Trina, family and all who were blessed to call him a friend and ask everyone to join us in praying for God to comfort them during this difficult time."įlags will be flown at half-staff through the day of his interment. Our state has lost a giant, and we will miss him dearly. After that, Edwards wedded Candy Picou in 1994. Together, they welcomed four children in their marriage. The two had crossed paths in Marksville High School. Edwin was a larger than life figure known for his wit and charm, but he will be equally remembered for being a compassionate leader who cared for the plight of all Louisianans. In 1949, Edwin Edwards tied the knot to Elaine Schwartzenburg. Edwards was a fervent supporter of civil rights and ensured that his administration was as diverse as Louisiana, a commitment I have also made as governor. House of Representatives and served as the state’s only four-term governor, leading Louisiana through pivotal years of growth including launching efforts to create the state’s current constitution. Gov. At just 17, he joined the Navy during World War II, beginning a lifetime of service to his state and country. He represented Louisiana’s 7 th congressional district in the U.S. "Few people have made such an indelible mark on our state as Governor Edwin Edwards. Edwin Edwards, who passed away on July 12 at the age of 93. John Bel Edwards issued the following statement on the passing of former Louisiana Gov. But you know what? I'd rather have your respect.Today, Gov. And my calling has been public life."īut his populist formula felt like a relic in the modern political climate, and Edwards lost to a Republican.Īs if trying to salvage his legacy, Edwards would wind down his stump speech that year saying, "I'd like your vote. Elaine Lucille Edwards (née Schwartzenburg Ma May 14, 2018) was an American politician from Louisiana. We feel fulfilled doing what we think we were called to do. ![]() In 2014, Edwards attempted political redemption with a run for Congress. Ever in the spotlight, the couple and their infant son starred in a short-lived and widely panned reality TV show called The Governor's Wife. When he got out, he married his third wife, a prison pen pal more than 50 years younger. "I suppose the feds sat by the river long enough so here comes my body." "The Chinese have a saying that if you sit by the river long enough, the dead body of your enemy will come floating down the river," Edwards said after a federal jury convicted him in 2000. It's All Politics Edwin Edwards: Governor, Convict, Reality TV Star - Congressman? He maintained the government was out to get him. Edwards was caught in an extortion scheme, soliciting bribes to steer riverboat casino licenses to the high bidders. "Tonight Louisiana became first - first to turn back the merchant of hate, the master of deceit," he declared in his victory speech.īut federal prosecution loomed once he left office. Voters obliged, and Edwards won a record fourth term in 1991. ![]() Bumper stickers proclaimed: "Vote for the Crook. "However, there was no chance they would ever catch me in either situation." His late-in-life political comeback failedĮdwards did lose the governorship in 1987 to a good government candidate but was back four years later in a contest against former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke that garnered national attention. "But even at that I don't know if I'd have lost had I been caught," Edwards said. "I like to say well maybe so, but now it's rusty zipper."ĭespite repeated allegations of corruption that netted those around him, Edwards appeared for a time above the fray, able to navigate an ethical tightrope even with the feds on his trail.Įver confident in his political tenacity, he famously quipped the only way he'd get beat was if he were caught with a "dead woman or a live boy." ![]() "People talk about me, and out of that came things like 'silver zipper,' " he told NPR in 2014.
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