Ralph Abraham

Ralph Lee Abraham, Jr. (born September 16, 1954), is an 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 and Baton Rouge.

Ralph Lee Abraham, Jr.
U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 5th congressional district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Vance Michael McAllister, Sr.
Born	September 16, 1954 Alto, Richland Parish, Louisiana
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Dianne Abraham
Children	KiAnne, Lee, and Ashley
Residence	Mangham, Richland Parish
Alma mater	Louisiana State University Louisiana State University College of Veterinary Medicine Louisiana State University School of Medicine
Occupation	Physician former veterinarian
Religion	Southern Baptist

A Republican, Abraham, along with Representative Garret Graves of Louisian's 6th congressional district and U.S. Senator John Neely Kennedy, has been mentioned as a potential opponent in 2019 to Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards, who will seek a second term in the office. The three lawmakers would not have to fore-go House reelection to run for governor. Were attorney Gen3ral Jeff Landry, another mentioned potential candidate, to run, Landry would have to give up his current position. 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 ..."

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, 134,612 votes (64.2 percent) to 75,004 (35.8 percent). He defeated token opposition in 2016 to secure his second term as representative.

Abraham has served in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Mississippi National Guard. He and his wife, Dianne, have three children.

Though considered a conservative on most political issues, including abortion, Abraham opposes the continued use of the Electoral College and said in a radio interview that he supports a direct popular vote for president and vice-president, which in 2016 would have meant victory for Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia.