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Of the six possible Louisiana Supreme Court party primaries that could have been on the May 16 ballot, only one is being contested, but it’s a doozy.
William “Billy” Burris and Blair Downing Edwards are both claiming the conservative Republican mantle in their bid to replace Will Crain, following his move to the federal bench. They are the only candidates, so the Republican primary is the whole ballgame.
The campaign has gotten nasty, as Burris and his surrogates portray Edwards as an ethically compromised tool of trial lawyers, while Burris is accused of being dangerously incompetent and soft on crime.
Internal polling suggests a close race. Both sides may combine to spend close to $2 million in the leadup to election day, with at least one out-of-state committee pouring in serious money.
Burris serves as district judge for Division E of the 22nd Judicial District Court, covering Washington and St. Tammany parishes. He replaced his father in that role.
He sees himself as very much in line with Crain, and says he has never read an opinion of Crain’s that he disagreed with.
“I’m a lifelong conservative,” Burris says. “I have nothing personally against Judge Edwards, I just think I’d be the better candidate.”
Edwards currently serves on the First Circuit Court of Appeal, and previously managed the first Juvenile Division at the 21st Judicial District Court, which covers Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa. She is married to retired Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards and is the sister-in-law of former Gov. John Bel Edwards.
“I am a Republican,” she told the Baton Rouge Press Club at a candidate forum last week. “I’ve always been a lifelong Christian conservative. My parents and my grandparents raised me to be a strong conservative, even while surrounded by folks that have very different views from me.”
The state’s major business groups are backing Burris, while Edwards has received significant support from trial lawyers. Burris also has been the beneficiary of attack ads by First Principles PAC, a Tennessee-based “dark money” group associated with nationally prominent conservative activist Leonard Leo.
First Principles has accused Edwards of “pretending to be a Republican” and being named “judge of the year” by “transgender loving, sex-change promoting DEI radicals.” In small print, the ad references Court Appointed Special Advocates, which honored Edwards in 2016.
Of course, a juvenile court judge getting recognition from CASA was not controversial at the time. Edwards even brags about it in an ad featuring Sheriffs Jason Ard of Livingston Parish, James Pohlmann of St. Bernard and Randy Smith of St. Tammany.
But last year, the Trump administration said it would cancel federal grants for the National CASA/GAL Association for Children before rescinding that decision, reportedly after the group removed references to race, class and gender diversity from its training materials, which apparently provides the basis for the attack.
