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BATON ROUGE AP) — While Louisiana Republicans have cautioned that infighting among GOP candidates could sink efforts to retake the governor’s mansion, a political action committee backing U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham isn’t following requests to avoid intraparty attacks.
The Securing Louisiana’s Future PAC, which is supporting Abraham in the Oct. 12 election, released a Facebook ad panning fellow Republican contender Eddie Rispone, a wealthy Baton Rouge businessman.
“Eddie Rispone is trying to buy this election — but he can’t win,” the ad says.
Abraham, a third-term congressman, and Rispone, a first-time candidate who poured $10 million of his own money into his campaign account, are trying to keep incumbent John Bel Edwards from a second term as the Deep South’s only Democratic governor.
“There’s a reason why our opponents are already attacking us: they know that Eddie Rispone is the only pro-Trump, conservative outsider in this race, and that’s exactly what Louisianans want as their next governor,” Rispone spokesman Anthony Ramirez said in a statement.
Abraham’s campaign says it doesn’t have control over what the PAC does.
The outside groups can raise and spend unlimited money to support a candidate, but cannot coordinate directly with a candidate’s campaign.
“We’re 100% focused on defeating John Bel Edwards and hope all Republicans and conservative groups remain focused on that goal,” Abraham’s political consultant Lionel Rainey said in a statement.
But the digital ad shows that efforts to avoid Republican-on-Republican attacks ahead of the election could be difficult, if not impossible, as the race heats up.
In March, Louisiana GOP Chairman Louis Gurvich called on the Republican gubernatorial candidates to focus their criticism on Edwards.
He said Republicans “must wage this campaign in the knowledge that Republican infighting only assures a second victory for John Bel Edwards.”
Gurvich’s statement came after Rispone’s campaign appeared to be linked to a website questioning the conservative bonafides of Abraham and suggesting Abraham doesn’t support President Donald Trump.
Concerns about GOP backbiting are particularly acute ahead of this election because Republicans blame attacks among their own candidates for helping to elect Edwards four years ago.
In that 2015 race, Republican candidates Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne focused their criticism on GOP rival David Vitter instead of Edwards in the primary, and Vitter limped into a runoff against Edwards badly wounded from the hits.

James Jimmy Escort Sr., 74, a native and resident of Morgan City, died Friday, July 19, 2019, in Lafayette.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Siracusaville Recreation Center. Burial will follow in Morgan City Cemetery.
He is survived by two sons, James Escort Jr. and Lawrence Francois, both of Morgan City; four daughters, Lahouma Francois and Shelia Knight, both of Morgan City, Dannier Escort of Lake Charles and Pamela Francois of Lafayette; a brother, Melvin Jackson of Morgan City; a sister, Dianne Jackson of Port Arthur, Texas; 20 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, six sisters and two brothers.

Marvin Johnson, 57, a native of Silverwood and resident of Patterson, died Friday, July 19, 2019, at Patterson Healthcare Center.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Good Hope Baptist Church in Patterson. Burial will follow in Home Industrial Cemetery in Patterson.
He is survived by his wife, Muriel Johnson of Patterson; six children, Quantina Richard of San Antonio, Shelia Gallow of Crowley, Destinie Gallow of Carencro, Selena Elmore of Alexandria, Charles Elmore of Patterson and Jackie Elmore of Houston; five siblings, Warren Hector of Houston, Roy Mayfield of Jennings, Raynod Johnson of Crowley, Brandon Johnson of Patterson and Marlene Johnson of Lake Charles; 14 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister and two brothers.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

January 11, 1933 — July 23, 2019
Rose Marie Beatty Fields, 86, a resident of Morgan City, passed away Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at Teche Regional Medical Center surrounded by her loving family.
Rose was born on January 11, 1933, in Algiers, Louisiana, the daughter of Samuel and Elise Clark Beatty.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by three children, Kathleen Fields Gaudet and husband Elward of Bayou L’Ourse, Daniel Eugene Fields of Amite, and Melanie Fields Askew and husband Perry of Morgan City; 11 grandchildren, Jennifer Viccellio and husband Steele, Jessica Makepeace and husband Tyler, Chelsea Mayden and husband Jeff, Elise Gaudet, Adam Fields and wife Erin, Sarah Fields, Tiffany Waguespack and husband Jon, Danielle Grow and husband Scott, Brandt Askew, Justin Askew and wife Megan, and Jennifer Fanguy and husband Dusty; 14 great-grandchildren, Riley, Spencer, Anthony, Nicholas, Vincent, Zachary, Gabrielle, Zoe, Kylee, Talan, Elizabeth, Jace, Easton and Alex; and three great-great-grandchildren, Mason, Zaylie and Arleigh.
Rose was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel and Elise Clark Beatty; husband, Eugene Anthony Fields; and two brothers, Arthur Beatty and Clark Brown.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 26, 2019, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Toto Buenaflor celebrating Mass. A visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the Mass time and following Mass, Rose will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Alzheimer’s Association, 3772 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806.