The possibility of “millionaire investor and political flirt” Jim Bernhard running for governor in 2019 has supporters of Gov. John Bel Edwards buzzing, says Jeremy Alford in his latest column.
And while it’s anyone’s guess as to whether Bernhard will run, Alford says his team at LaPolitics was recently able to confirm a number political tidbits regarding the rumors about his political ambitions.
“Bernhard, the former chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party, has been quietly considering a bid for governor,” Alford writes, adding “Bernhard has been meeting with political professionals known for their conservative credentials.”
All the while, Baton Rouge area politicos and political junkies alike have been growing increasingly restless, Alford says.
“Some JBE boosters have even attempted to reach out to Bernhard—through backchannels and more conventional means—to advise against the move or to simply question his motives,” Alford writes.
And you can’t blame them, he adds.
“The last thing Edwards supporters want is a Fortune 500 darling jumping into the race with his own money and splintering the Democratic vote,” Alford writes. “And just in case you don’t know much about Bernhard, yes, he can afford such an endeavor.”
For now, most of the party-related chatter seems to be speculation only, Alford says, adding it would make sense if Bernhard qualified and then adopted a Trump-like campaign strategy—which is another thread of conversation that’s in heavy rotation in Baton Rouge.
“Having caught word of Bernhard’s most recent exploration, there’s another handful of GOP players wishing upon a star that he flips his party registration, who see his candidacy as a way to potentially head off U.S. Sen. John Kennedy,” Alford writes. “The state’s junior senator remains a maybe-candidate who isn’t doling out many hints, but he’s also a heavy hitter who cannot be counted out until he’s actually out.”
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
