Marietta Season 4 Episode 4 - Election Night in Louisiana

Marietta Season 4, Episode 4
Election Night in Louisiana

Marietta is at Patty Lynn and Martin’s for dinner.

Martin: Marietta, I’m glad you were able to make it tonight. I know you want to rest tomorrow night since you had a busy week campaigning for Candy Bordelon.

Marietta: Don’t forget Eliza!

Martin: That’s right! I forgot she made it to the runoff.

Kathleen: You’d forget your head if it weren’t attached to your body.

Martin: That is true.

Tammy: I think Marietta has something fun to share with you all.

Patty Lynn: It’s “y’all,” Tammy.

Tammy: Marietta has something fun to share with y’all.

Sarah: Is she running for governor?

Patty Lynn: A little late for that, dear.

Sarah: You never know…

Patty Lynn: I know.

Marietta: Can I speak?

Sarah: Sure, why not?

Marietta: The Spin Zone is coming to Louisiana to cover the big election tomorrow night and they asked me to be part of their election night coverage!

Patty Lynn: I can’t wait!

Martin: You know I can’t stand Chris Pratt, but I’ll be watching!

Marietta: Chris Pratt?

Martin: There’s a Pratt on the show, right?

Marietta: No, she left the show.

Martin: I haven’t watched in a while.

Marietta: It’s Dan Freberg -

Martin: That’s the one I hate.

Marietta: His new co-host is Vanessa Gephardt.

Martin: I don’t know her.

Marietta: Neither do I, but I’m excited to meet her tomorrow.

Sarah: Where will I be tomorrow? I could stay h-

Marietta: Absolutely not.

Sarah: But -

Marietta: Do you have bad ears?

Sarah: No.

Marietta: Then you heard me the first time. You are not staying home alone. You’ll be here, because your father is campaigning for Candy until eight and then he’s going to her victory party.

Patty Lynn: That’s gonna be fun, Sarah!

Sarah: Uh-huh…

Kathleen: She doesn’t sound so convinced.

Martin: There’s only so much Gilmore Girls one person can take…

Patty Lynn: No. No, there is not.

Kathleen: I, personally, can take none of it.

Sarah: I like Gilmore Girls, I’d be fine with spending tomorrow watching it.

Marietta: So, we’re all content with tomorrow’s plans?

Patty Lynn: Yeah, I am.

Marietta: Of course you are, you get to see me at least twice and spend a few hours with Sarah.

Patty Lynn: Plus, I get to see you on TV! And we’re gonna win the governor’s mansion!

Marietta: Mom, I’ve seen the polling. Don’t get your hopes up.

The next night…

Dan: Hello and welcome to The Spin Zone. It is Election Night in Louisiana and the polls have just closed across the Bayou State.

Vanessa: We are thrilled to be joined by three experts on Louisiana politics: former Louisiana Senator and current New Orleans mayor Marietta Landfield; New Orleans city councilor Marissa Breyer; and former advisor to President Michael Faherty, Arthur Warbleman.

Arthur: I’m thrilled to be here, thanks for having me!

Marietta: I’m thrilled and a bit nervous.

Dan: It is an unexpectedly tight race for control of the governor’s mansion tonight as state senator Candy Bordelon tries to hold Eileen Birkman’s seat for the Democrats while Congressman Roger Grenadier tries to flip the seat into Republican hands. You all know better than I do about Louisiana, so what is the mood on the ground? Marissa?

Marissa: I haven’t seen New Orleans so fired up to vote in quite some time, turnout is going to be very strong there, which is obviously great for the Bordelon campaign. I spoke to some election officials who said that it’s the highest turnout they’ve seen for a governor race in over twenty years.

Dan: Very impressive!

Arthur: It’s not all rosy for the Democrats, though. Rural turnout is also up. The national media has really focused on this race, and it has voters on all sides fired up and ready to vote.

Marissa: Can I just say, in the state with the second-highest black population in America by percentage, we are so excited at the prospect of electing America’s first black woman governor tonight. It’s been a long time coming.

Vanessa: Mayor Landfield, your thoughts?

Marietta: I think that -

Vanessa: Hold on, we are getting results from our first precincts.

Marietta: I’ll gladly hold on.

Dan: Assumption Parish just reported all of its votes.

Marietta: All?

Dan: All!

Marietta: Well, that should tell us a story.

Dan: With a single parish reporting, Candy Bordelon is leading the Louisiana gubernatorial race by less than a half point, 50.2 to 49.8. What are our thoughts?

Marietta: Well, Assumption is one of the key swing parishes in Louisiana. It voted very heavily for the President, but Governor Birkman won it in both of her races and I won it in all of mine. Republicans can afford to lose it in a gubernatorial campaign, it does vote a bit to the left of the state, but the Democrats arguably can not.

Arthur: I’d say that Assumption being so close is not a great sign for the Democrats, but it’s not a great one for the Republicans, either. If they were heading towards a statewide romp, Assumption would not be close.

Marissa: I think we should be weary of extrapolating too much from a small parish where less than ten thousand votes were cast. We’re expecting over one and a half million tonight across the state.

Marietta: That’s a great point. I’m sure no one will listen to it, but it’s a great point. We need more data before we can really -

Dan: And we just got more data! We’re now at five percent of precincts reporting statehood. How’s it looking, Vanessa?

Vanessa: Even with no parishes reporting from his native 3rd District, Grenadier has taken a lead. He’s now leading 52.3 to 47.7.

Marietta: Are Orleans Parish and the Baton Rough parishes reporting anything yet?

Vanessa: No, not yet.

Marissa: Anything from Shreveport?

Vanessa: Nope.

Arthur: Pretty good for Bordelon, then.

Marietta: It’s seeming, to me at least, as if this election is going to come down to turnout in this large blue parishes. Bordelon is holding her own in those more rural, Republican-leaning parishes, but she’s going to need to net a lot of votes from New Orleans and Baton Rouge in order to win. I will say, though, based on what we’re seeing so far, if she can replicate my 2018 performance in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, she’ll win. My problem was that I collapsed in the rurals, which she isn’t doing.

Arthur: Well, if anyone knows more about winning in Louisiana, it’s you.

Marietta: I detect sarcasm there, but I’m the only one at this panel that won three statewide elections in Louisiana.

Marissa: Can I just point out that Bordelon is leading right now in Claiborne Parish? That is incredible! If we see trends like that statewide, she’s winning. It means that black voters truly showed up in historic numbers for her.

Vanessa: We are heading into break and will hopefully get more numbers soon. First. if you all had to pick a winner based on what we’re seeing so far, who would it be? Arthur, you start.

Arthur: It’s hard to say, it’s so early. But Bordelon is currently exceeding what she needs to do, in my opinion.

Marietta: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think Bordelon is the favorite for now.

Marissa: I think America is about to see history made. Candy will win.

Vanessa: There you have it. Our experts are betting on blue. We’re back in three, don’t go away.

As the show cuts to commercial, Marietta steps off the set and receives a call from Patty Lynn.

Marietta: Mother, what’s up?

Patty Lynn: You’re doing great!

Marietta: Is that all you’re calling about?

Sarah: No, she’s stressed out! She won’t even let me put Gilmore Girls back on!

Kathleen: Thank god!

Marietta: Mom, what are you stressing about?

Patty Lynn: I’ve got a bad feeling!

Marietta: Candy is exceeding expectations so far, she’s on track to win. Calm down a bit and enjoy the night.

Martin: There has never been an election night that your mother has enjoyed.

Patty Lynn: That’s not true!

Martin: Name one!

Patty Lynn: When Marietta was elected mayor.

Martin: Well, I like Amy, but, we all knew that she didn’t have much of a chance. Plus, you stressed the whole night because we couldn’t find Marietta to give her victory speech.

Patty Lynn: Fine, election nights aren’t me thing.

Marietta: So, can I go? I’m needed back on set and you don’t seem to have any need to speak with me.

Sarah: Make sure this election is done quickly! I can’t stand the thought of watching this for another three hours.

Marietta: I can’t control how fast the ballots are counted, unfortunately. Maybe go in another room. Or put your earbuds in and listen to some music.

Sarah: Thanks for nothing, auntie.

Marietta: Always here to help!

One hour later…

Dan: Fifty percent of precincts are reporting and this race is tight! With new data just coming in, Candy Bordelon has just pulled ahead of Roger Grenadier with 50.1 percent of the vote.

Marissa: Bordelon, feels like I’m going to lose my mind!

Vanessa: That was very inspired!

Athur: I will say, Bordelon leading with none of the vote in from New Orleans is incredibly impressive. I’d rather be her right now.

Marietta: What a turnaround in the last couple weeks!

Arthur: I think we should note, though, very little of Louisiana’s 3rd District is reporting right now. Grenadier should do better there than the average Republican.

Marissa: Though, that district is so red to begin with, there’s less ground for him to make up there than if he were the Representative for, say, the 4th District.

Marietta: When I ran for Senate the first time, back in, uh, we don’t need to say the year, I won multiple parishes in what is now the 3rd District. Times sure have changed.

Dan: Speaking of the 3rd District, we’re just getting our first results in from Lafayette Parish, the largest in the district. Grenadier is winning it 57.5 to 42.5.

Arthur: Yeah, I’m not seeing much of a path for him at this rate. That’s a bad underperformance.

Marietta: What is going on tonight? I can’t believe this.

Marissa: This state loves to defy expectations.

Dan: It should be noted, when Mayor Landfield’s brother Milton won statewide by four percent, he lost Lafayette 58.9-41.1.

Marissa: Margins matter, even in those red areas!

Marietta: Still a close race, but I, and, I’m sure, all Louisiana Democrats are getting quite optimistic right about now.

Vanessa: Speaking of Senator Landfield, we have a special guest joining us right now. Live from the Bordelon victory party, Senator Milton Landfield.

Marietta: Who’s that?

Milton: Hello, everybody! It is electric in here tonight! 

Marietta: She’s at 49.9 percent of the vote, how can it not be electric?

Milton: We might be behind now, but we know that New Orleans has yet to be counted and when it’s in, our voices will be heard and Candy Bordelon will be our next governor.

Dan: So it’s a pretty optimistic vibe at Bordelon HQ right about now?

Milton: Extremely so. We know the math is on our side and we’re going to get the win when it’s all said and done.

Vanessa: Have you spoken to Candy Bordelon?

Milton: I have not, but I have spoken to her campaign manager and I know that she’s in great spirits and ready to win this. She’s ready to serve, on day one.

Vanessa: Senator Landfield, we’re sorry to interrupt, but we just got some new data in.

Milton: Don’t be sorry, we’re all excited to see it!

Dan: Orleans Parish is finally reporting!

Marissa: This is when it gets exciting!

Dan: We’re getting some other data in, so this isn’t fully from Orleans, but we’re now up to 82 percent in and Candy Bordelon is at 53.8 percent of the vote. We still have about a hundred precincts left to report in Orleans, though we should note that there are a lot of rural precincts left to report.

Milton: I told ya the math was on our side! This crowd is on fire right now.

Marissa: I’m not speaking on behalf of the network or anything, but this looks over if you ask me.

Arthur: It’s not really that close. I think this will be called shortly.

Marietta: I just can’t believe this is happening. Do people hate the president this much? In Louisiana?

Marissa: As someone who’s spent the last month on the campaign trail, yes.

Vanessa: Mayor Landfield, we have some exciting news for you.

Marietta: For me?

Vanessa: Your cousin Eliza was just elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Marietta: She was? That’s amazing!

Vanessa: Quite a night for you!

Marietta: Yeah, quite.

Dan: We’re heading into a commercial, we’ll be back in two mintues.

Marietta receives a call from Patty Lynn.

Marietta: What now, mother?

Patty Lynn: Ahhhh!!!

Marietta: I know, very exciting!

Patty Lynn: Ahhhhh!!!

Marissa: Hi, Mrs. Landfield!

Patty Lynn: Ahhhhh!!!

Marissa: I see she’s excited.

Marietta: Mom, I have to be back on TV.  Anything to add?

Kathleen: We are actively trying to stop her from screaming. Have a nice night, dear!

Marietta hangs up.

Dan: And we’re back a bit early because we have some news to break.

Vanessa: That’s right, it’s been a long night, but we can confirm that Candy Bordelon has been elected the 57th governor of the state of Louisiana in what most consider a shockingly-large victory.

Dan: This will likely not be within five points. To emphasize how significant that is, Grenadier now only had a lead in the polls, but had a five-point lead in the polls.

Marietta: This is probably the best night for Louisiana Democrats since -

Marissa: Since your brother won last year?

Marietta: I forgot about that, but, yeah.

Marissa: If I can editorialize a bit here, this victory is owed to the passionate work on the ground by volunteers who knocked almost every door in New Orleans and got us record turnout. Candy got an astounding ninety-four percent of the vote in Orleans Parish, which is unheard of. This is an incredible win for the party.

Marietta: We both saw it firsthand. This was a campaign that was run so well. It inspired so many people.

Vanessa: I hate to interrupt, but we have to go to Bordelon headquarters, where the governor-elect is making her speech.

Marietta steps off the set and calls Eliza.

Henrietta: Marietta, I’m sure you’ve heard the news!

Marietta: I sure have! Is your mother available to talk?

Henrietta: I’ll try to track her down.

Marietta: Congrats on the big win, by the way. You worked so hard and helped make it happen. For both Candy and you mother. Thanks for the hard work.

Henrietta: I don’t mind giving my time to a good cause. Also, mom made me. Speaking of which, here she is.

Marietta: Thanks, Henrietta.

Eliza: Marietta! Oh my god!

Marietta: I’m so proud of you.

Eliza: Thank you. I’m quite flabbergasted. I knew this could happen, but it’s still surreal.

Marietta: I have to ask, what was the final result?

Eliza: It looks like I got sixty-two percent of the vote.

Marietta: Wow, that’s really good. Not quite as good as I did in my run for mayor, but your opponent wasn’t as incompetent as Amy.

Eliza: I’ll get you next time.

Marietta: I’m sure you will. So, how are you planning to celebrate?

Eliza: Dinner at your place?

Marietta: How about at my mother’s? She’ll be so excited to see you. She called after you won just to scream about how excited she was.

Eliza: That sounds like her. I’ll be over next Saturday if she’ll have me.

Marietta: I’ll let you go, and I’ll see you then. I just wanted to let you know how proud I am of you. Don’t want to interrupt your victory celebration.

Eliza: You’re not interrupting anything. But I’ll see you then.

Marietta: Okay, talk to you later. I should probably head out of here and rescue Sarah from watching election returns.

Eliza: Bye, Marietta!

Marietta: Bye, state representative… what’s your last name, again?

Eliza: Oh, Marietta.

What did you think of this episode of Marietta? Let us know in the comments, listen to the official playlist, vote in the poll below and make sure to return for a new episode next week!

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