Trump
NEW ORLEANS — Billionaire businessman Donald Trump won the Republican presidential primary in Louisiana on Saturday, while former secretary of state Hillary Clinton notched another win in the South with a Democratic primary victory.
Louisiana was one of five states with contests Saturday.
On the Republican side, Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have been locked in a heated race for the nomination, while Clinton faces Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Clinton
For many voters Trump’s outsider stance and political independence added to his allure.
Outside of Bissonet Plaza Elementary School in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, Arnold Benitez, 80, voted with his son on Saturday. Both cast their ballots for Trump.
“Trump. I’ll vote for him all the time,” Benitez said. “He’s a better man. He’s what people really want to say, what people want to hear. And he’ll get the job done. And these Republicans that we voted for to put in Congress, they don’t do nothing …This man is going to do something.”
For Clinton, Louisiana marked another state in the South where she’s scored victory. She has drawn on strong African-American support throughout states such as South Carolina, Arkansas and Alabama to notch wins over Sanders.
Jay Edwards, 78, in Baton Rouge voted for Clinton in the Democratic primary. For him, her experience was what counted.
“She’s the only professional person that has worked in government and has enough competence to do a sensible job there,” he said.
Edwards, professor emeritus of anthropology at LSU, said while he likes Sanders, he didn’t think Sanders could accomplish his campaign promises.
“He just wouldn’t be able to work with Congress as it’s set up now,” Edwards said.