Who was Edwin Edwards' wife? A look at Louisiana ex-guv's married life as he dies at 93
Edwin Edwards, who served as the 50th governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972–1980, 1984–1988 and 1992–1996) passed away just before 7 am on Monday, July 12 at his home in Gonzales. He was 93 years old. He was known for supporting the poor and promoting Black people and women while in government, but also faced repeated accusations of corruption and spent eight years in prison for taking bribes.
According to Edwards' biographer Leo Honeycutt, he succumbed to respiratory problems. Edwards died with friends and family by his side. Back in May, megadonor Foster Friess passed away after a long battle with cancer. On June 13, Mississippi state Representative Ashley Henley was found dead under mysterious circumstances. In another news, Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge suffered a stroke at his home in Bethesda on June 16.
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Edwards was born on August 7, 1927, in rural Avoyelles Parish, near Marksville to a half-French Presbyterian sharecropper, Clarence Edwards, and French-speaking Catholic, Agnès Brouillette. One of the many achievements throughout Edwards' political career includes the fact that he was responsible for the modern state constitution that has served Louisiana since 1974. Former US Senator John Breaux, who was Edwards' assistant when he was in Congress, said of Edwards, "He was extremely intelligent, and he was able to analyze problems and find solutions where other people couldn’t find them. I think he had a very big heart and a good feel for people who were less advantaged than he was."
Edwards was found guilty of racketeering charges and was sentenced to ten years in federal prison in 2001. After serving eight years, he was released from federal prison in January 2011. Edwards was released from probation in 2013.
Who was Edwin Edwards married to?
At the time of his death, Edwin Edwards was married to his third wife, Trina Scott Edwards. She was 51 years younger than him. Edwards married Trina in 2011 and moved to Gonzales. In 2013, Edwards became a father to a son with Trina and named him Eli. The reality show 'The Governor's Wife', which aired on the Arts & Entertainment Network in 2013, was based on the couple.
Edwards had four children with his first wife, Elain Edwards, with whom he was married for 40 years (1949-1989). Edwards married his second wife, Candace Edwards, in 1994, but the marriage ended in 2004. Edwards had tremendous support of poor White and Black people throughout his career and unwavering respect from his rivals. Former Governor Buddy Roemer once said of Edwards, "He was the most effective, skilled, wily politician I ever knew."