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'''Ralph Lee Abraham, Jr.''' (born September 16, 1954), is an [[United States|American]] [[physician]] and former [[veterinarian]] from Mangham in Richland Parish, [[Louisiana]], who was elected in 2014 to the [[United States House of Representatives]] for his state's 5th congressional district, which encompasses a large swath of territory between [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] and [[Baton Rouge]]. He is a candidate for [[governor]] in the 2019 nonpartisan blanket primary, when he will face incumbent [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[John Bel Edwards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://710keel.com/congressman-ralph-abraham-is-running-for-governor/|title=Congressman Ralph Abraham is running for governor|author=Erin McCarty|accessdate=December 6, 2018}}</ref> and [[Eddie Rispone]], a wealthy Baton Rouge Republican [[business]]man. who is expected to self-finance his campaign.

'''Ralph Lee Abraham, Jr.''' (born September 16, 1954), is an [[United States|American]] [[physician]] and former [[veterinarian]] from Mangham in Richland Parish, [[Louisiana]], who was elected in 2014 to the [[United States House of Representatives]] for his state's 5th congressional district, which encompasses a large swath of territory between [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]] and [[Baton Rouge]]. He is a candidate for [[governor]] in the 2019 nonpartisan blanket primary, when he will face incumbent [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[John Bel Edwards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://710keel.com/congressman-ralph-abraham-is-running-for-governor/|title=Congressman Ralph Abraham is running for governor|author=Erin McCarty|accessdate=December 6, 2018}}</ref> and [[Eddie Rispone]], a wealthy Baton Rouge Republican [[business]]man. who is self-financing his campaign.

When Abraham announced his congressional candidacy, he declared that he would adhere to self-imposed term limits of six years. Sam Hanna, Jr., a Monroe-based journalist, said that the House leadership, "for all practical purposes, had no reason to help him advance in a world where seniority means everything. Yet, Abraham could turn the tables and announce in the very near future that he’d given some thought to all of that yak about term limits and simply declare his intention to remain in the House ..."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hannapub.com/franklinsun/opinion/columns/sam-hanna-jr-big-decision-for-abraham/article_eeef027a-8a26-11e8-b21d-4b47647d3e07.html|author=Sam Hanna, Jr.|publisher=Hannapub.com|date=July 17, 2018|title=Big decision for Abraham|accessdate=July 18, 2018}}</ref> To win his U.S. House seat, Abraham first dispatched the scandal-plagued Republican incumbent Vance Michael McAllister, Sr., in the nonpartisan blanket primary and then in the [[general election]], the [[African-American]] Democrat Jamie Mayo, the [[mayor]] of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], 134,612 votes (64.2 percent) to 75,004 (35.8 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/12062014/12062014_23.html|title=Runoff election returns|date=December 6, 2014|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=April 10, 2018}}</ref> He handily defeated fellow Republican Billy Burkette in 2016 to secure his second term as representative.

When Abraham announced his congressional candidacy, he declared that he would adhere to self-imposed term limits of six years. Sam Hanna, Jr., a Monroe-based journalist, said that the House leadership, "for all practical purposes, had no reason to help him advance in a world where seniority means everything. Yet, Abraham could turn the tables and announce in the very near future that he’d given some thought to all of that yak about term limits and simply declare his intention to remain in the House ..."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hannapub.com/franklinsun/opinion/columns/sam-hanna-jr-big-decision-for-abraham/article_eeef027a-8a26-11e8-b21d-4b47647d3e07.html|author=Sam Hanna, Jr.|publisher=Hannapub.com|date=July 17, 2018|title=Big decision for Abraham|accessdate=July 18, 2018}}</ref> To win his U.S. House seat, Abraham first dispatched the scandal-plagued Republican incumbent Vance Michael McAllister, Sr., in the nonpartisan blanket primary and then in the [[general election]], the [[African-American]] Democrat Jamie Mayo, the [[mayor]] of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], 134,612 votes (64.2 percent) to 75,004 (35.8 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/12062014/12062014_23.html|title=Runoff election returns|date=December 6, 2014|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=April 10, 2018}}</ref> He handily defeated fellow Republican Billy Burkette in 2016 to secure his second term as representative.