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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 in northeastern [[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 was a [[Republican Party|Republican]] candidate for [[governor]] in the 2019 nonpartisan blanket primary. He finished third with 317,115 votes (24 percent). The primary placed a second Republican, [[Eddie Rispone]], a Baton Rouge [[business]]man who largely self-financed his campaign, into the November 16 runoff election against the incumbent [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], [[John Bel Edwards]], who led the primary with exactly 626,000 votes (46.6 percent).<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><ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12, 2019.</ref>  

'''Ralph Lee Abraham, Jr.''' (born September 16, 1954), is an [[United States|American]] [[physician]] and former [[veterinarian]] from Mangham in Richland Parish in northeastern [[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 was a [[Republican Party|Republican]] candidate for [[governor]] in the 2019 nonpartisan blanket primary. He finished third with 317,115 votes (24 percent). The primary placed a second Republican, [[Eddie Rispone]], a Baton Rouge [[business]]man who largely self-financed his campaign, into the November 16 runoff election against the incumbent [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], [[John Bel Edwards]], who led the primary with exactly 626,000 votes (46.6 percent).<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><ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 12, 2019.</ref>  

In December 2023, Louisiana Governor-elect [[Jeff Landry]] announced the appointment of Dr. Abraham as the new secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. Abraham, who supported Landry for governor, said that he and Landry want to make Louisiana’s health top tier and raise it from the bottom.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gov-elect-jeff-landry-announces-major-cabinet-appointments-one-from-nela/ar-AA1lOzeQ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=b72613576e4f4abcbe5361a2326eaab5&ei=13|title=Gov-elect Jeff Landry announces major cabinet appointments, one from NELA|publisher=msn.com|accessdate=December 20, 2023}}</ref>

In December 2023, Louisiana Governor-elect [[Jeff Landry]] announced the appointment of Dr. Abraham as the new secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. Abraham, who supported Landry for governor, said that he and Landry want to make Louisiana’s health top tier and raise it from the bottom.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gov-elect-jeff-landry-announces-major-cabinet-appointments-one-from-nela/ar-AA1lOzeQ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=b72613576e4f4abcbe5361a2326eaab5&ei=13|title=Gov-elect Jeff Landry announces major cabinet appointments, one from NELA|publisher=msn.com|accessdate=December 20, 2023}}</ref> In June 2024, Governor Landry appointed Abraham to the newly-created position of state surgeon general, formerly the chief medical officer, and promoted current undersecretary Michael Harrington to succeed Abraham in leading the Department of Health and Hospitals<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2024/06/25/louisiana-has-created-a-new-position-of-surgeon-general-and-jeff-landry-appoints-ralph-abraham/74202149007/|title=Louisiana has a surgeon general; here's who Governor Jeff Landry appointed to the new job|publisher=''[[Alexandria Town Talk]]''|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|date=June 25, 2024|accessdate=June 26, 2024}}</ref>

==Background==

==Background==