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Prior to being governor, Edwards had been a member of the city council in Crowley in Acadia Parish in south Louisiana. He then served briefly in the Louisiana State Senate until he won a special election in 1965 for a seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]], in which he served until his initial inauguration as governor.

Prior to being governor, Edwards had been a member of the city council in Crowley in Acadia Parish in south Louisiana. He then served briefly in the Louisiana State Senate until he won a special election in 1965 for a seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]], in which he served until his initial inauguration as governor.

During his political career Edwards was known for his arrogance, even (successfully) claiming that the only way he could lose an election was to be "caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy".<ref>Of course, had he run in [[San Francisco]], either would have gotten him an overwhelming majority.</ref> On taking office in 1972, he named the labor and [[civil rights]] activist, [[A. Z. Young]] of Bogalusa as the first black to head a state government agency, the Department of Hospitals. He appointed his executive assistant, the [[Oklahoma]] native George A. Fischer (c. 1927-2020) as the first Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, which was reorganized under the Louisiana Constitution of 1974. Fischer also served as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources prior to the reorganization of the agency. A United States Army veteran, Fischer owned the legendary Good Neighbor Restaurant, a floating yacht in the New Orleans harbor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obits.theadvocate.com/us/obituaries/theadvocate/name/george-fischer-obituary?id=34128578|title=George Fischer obituary|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=April 7, 2022|accessdate=April 11, 2022}}</ref>  

During his political career Edwards was known for his arrogance, even (successfully) claiming that the only way he could lose an election was to be "caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy".<ref>Of course, had he run in [[San Francisco]], either would have gotten him an overwhelming majority.</ref> On taking office in 1972, he named the labor and [[civil rights]] activist, [[A. Z. Young]] of Bogalusa as the first black to head a state government agency, the Department of Hospitals. He appointed his executive assistant, the [[Oklahoma]] native George A. Fischer (1927-2020) as the first Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, which was reorganized under the Louisiana Constitution of 1974. Fischer also served as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources prior to the reorganization of the agency. A United States Army veteran, Fischer owned the legendary Good Neighbor Restaurant, a floating yacht in the New Orleans harbor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obits.theadvocate.com/us/obituaries/theadvocate/name/george-fischer-obituary?id=34128578|title=George Fischer obituary|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=April 7, 2022|accessdate=April 11, 2022}}</ref>  

A native of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish in south central Louisiana, Edwards served time in federal prison after his tenure as governor ended. Edwards was found guilty on seventeen of twenty-six counts in relation to the location of a prison in La Salle Parish. The convictions included racketeering, [[extortion]], [[money laundering]], [[mail fraud]] and wire fraud; Stephen Edwards, his son from his first marriage to the former [[Elaine Edwards|Elaine Lucille Schwartzenburg]],<ref name=elaine>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_afea9256-579a-11e8-a8f7-bf13ceaabca2.html|title=Former Louisiana first lady Elaine Edwards dies: Edwin Edwards: 'She was a great asset'|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=May 14, 2018|accessdate=May 15, 2018}}</ref> was convicted on eighteen counts. Elaine Edwards had served from July to November 1972 by her husband's appointment as an interim [[U.S. Senator]] following the death of [[Allen J. Ellender]].<ref name=elaine/>

A native of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish in south central Louisiana, Edwards served time in federal prison after his tenure as governor ended. Edwards was found guilty on seventeen of twenty-six counts in relation to the location of a prison in La Salle Parish. The convictions included racketeering, [[extortion]], [[money laundering]], [[mail fraud]] and wire fraud; Stephen Edwards, his son from his first marriage to the former [[Elaine Edwards|Elaine Lucille Schwartzenburg]],<ref name=elaine>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_afea9256-579a-11e8-a8f7-bf13ceaabca2.html|title=Former Louisiana first lady Elaine Edwards dies: Edwin Edwards: 'She was a great asset'|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=May 14, 2018|accessdate=May 15, 2018}}</ref> was convicted on eighteen counts. Elaine Edwards had served from July to November 1972 by her husband's appointment as an interim [[U.S. Senator]] following the death of [[Allen J. Ellender]].<ref name=elaine/>

Edwards was released from prison in 2011. He soon married his third wife, the former Trina Grimes Scott, who had been his prison pen pal and at the age of thirty-two in 2012 is young enough to be his granddaughter. The couple had a son thereafter and were featured on a short-lived A&E reality show, ''The Governor's Wife,'' in 2013.

Edwards was released from prison in 2011 and thereafter wed his third wife, the former Trina Grimes Scott, who had been his prison pen pal and at the age of thirty-two in 2012 is young enough to have been his granddaughter. The couple had a son thereafter and were featured on a short-lived A&E reality show, ''The Governor's Wife,'' in 2013.

Edwards went under [[hospice]] care for respiratory problems in July 2021 and died a few days later at the age of ninety-three at his home in Gonzales in Ascension Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/former-louisiana-gov-edwin-edwards-dead-at-93/ar-AALPwH6|title=Former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards dead at 93|publisher=msn.com (WDSU Channel 6 [[NBC]] in [[Baton Rouge]])|date=July 12, 2021}}</ref> Edwards' passing, which came not long after the deaths of Buddy Roemer and Mike Foster, leaves only Republican former Governor [[Bobby Jindal]] as the only living former Louisiana governor.

Edwards went under [[hospice]] care for respiratory problems in July 2021 and died a few days later at the age of ninety-three at his home in Gonzales in Ascension Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/former-louisiana-gov-edwin-edwards-dead-at-93/ar-AALPwH6|title=Former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards dead at 93|publisher=msn.com (WDSU Channel 6 [[NBC]] in [[Baton Rouge]])|date=July 12, 2021}}</ref> Edwards' passing, which came not long after the deaths of Buddy Roemer and Mike Foster, leaves only Republican former Governor [[Bobby Jindal]] as the only living former Louisiana governor.