The Louisiana Gubernatorial race is heating up. While Governor John Bel Edwards has enjoyed above average approval ratings throughout his tenure, his party affiliation as a Democrat makes him a vulnerable incumbent in a red state like Louisiana.The two Republican candidates know what they have to do and they are not holding back. In a state where President Trump has maintained steady approval ratings, both Republicans are strategically aligning themselves with Trump.

And one in particular, U.S. Congressman Ralph Abraham, has just launched a new ad touting his conservative positions and taking aim at transgender rights. Towards the end of the ad, Abraham says “and as a Doctor, I can assure you, there are only two genders.”

During a time in which most of the nation is moving forward with recognizing LGBTQ rights, in Louisiana, despite an executive order Governor Edwards signed in 2016 protecting state workers and contractors from discrimination with regards to gender identity and sexual orientation, there are currently no explicit, comprehensive statewide non-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people.

While dangerous and inflammatory, these assaults on human rights should come as no surprise in a red state that Donald Trump handedly won in the 2016 Presidential election.

We anticipate this race to continue to be watched closely on a national level since there is good chance that this race could go either way.

Election Day is October 12, 2019. If no single candidate attains over fifty percent of the vote, the top two candidates will compete in a runoff election.

Scott Ploof is Founder and Publisher of Big Easy Magazine.