- published: 16 Aug 2016
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John Bel Edwards (born September 16, 1966) is an American attorney and Democratic Party politician who is the 56th Governor of Louisiana, in office since 2016. He is a United States Army veteran, having served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was the Minority Leader of the Louisiana House of Representatives, having represented the 72nd District since 2008. Edwards left the legislature to run for Governor in the 2015 election. He defeated Republican U.S. Senator David Vitter in the November 21 general election.
Edwards was born and raised in Amite, Louisiana, the son of Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Frank M. Edwards, Jr., a member of the administration of Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards (no relation). John Bel Edwards graduated from Amite High School in 1984 as valedictorian. In 1988, Edwards received a bachelor's degree in engineering from the United States Military Academy, where he was on the Dean's List and served as vice chairman of the panel that enforced the West Point honor code.