In Louisiana, a Vote for Governor and a Test for Trump

Throughout the campaign, Mr. Edwards, the only Democratic governor currently holding office in the Deep South, has shined a spotlight on his conservative bona fides, like his support for a state law barring abortion after the pulsing of what becomes the fetus’s heart can be detected. He has also campaigned on his role in closing a $2 billion deficit he inherited from his Republican predecessor, Bobby Jindal, and has argued that Mr. Rispone, by pursuing aggressive tax cuts, would put Louisiana back in the same place.

And he has distanced himself from national Democrats. One of his most influential megawatt backers has not been anyone from Washington, but instead Ed Orgeron, Louisiana State University’s football coach. (“I know the state of Louisiana believes in him just like a championship quarterback,” the coach said at a fund-raiser in April.)

Mr. Rispone, who with his brother founded an industrial engineering, construction and maintenance company in Baton Rouge, has tied his fortunes almost entirely to Mr. Trump, allowing the president to dominate the campaign. When Mr. Rispone addressed supporters at an election night gathering in October, he started his speech by saying he had just gotten off the phone with the president, leading the crowd to chant “Trump! Trump! Trump!” Mr. Rispone’s first two ads in the runoff showed footage of Mr. Trump but none of the candidate.

On Thursday, Mr. Trump traveled to Bossier City, La., near Shreveport in the northern part of the state, to renew his attack on Mr. Edwards and urge the crowd to “send a message to the corrupt Democrats in Washington” by voting for Mr. Rispone. He reiterated his support for Mr. Rispone on Saturday with multiple tweets.

So far, the election has had heavy turnout. Louisiana’s secretary of state, Kyle Ardoin, said that he expects a turnout of 51 percent, compared with 40 percent in 2015.

Michael Derouen, who works in seafood sales, described both candidates as “pretty decent.” But ultimately, he sided with Mr. Rispone, he said, because he believed a change might jolt Louisiana forward, particularly in terms of boosting business and job opportunities.

“He’s not just a politician,” Mr. Derouen said just after voting at a fire station in East Baton Rouge Parish. “He’s a businessman, which opens the door for us and the state. We want an all-around guy, not just a politician.”