c andid ate ▁field . ▁T reen ▁end ors ed ▁Don el on , ▁who ▁switched ▁parties ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 0 . ▁ ▁T reen ' s ▁prede cess or ▁( and ▁successor ) ▁as ▁governor , ▁Dem ocrat ▁Ed win ▁Edwards , ▁supported ▁T au zin , ▁a ▁former ▁floor ▁leader ▁in ▁the ▁House . ▁ ▁Edwards ▁had ▁first ▁told ▁Don el on , ▁his ▁former ▁a ide , ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁become ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁race , ▁but ▁Edwards ▁changed ▁his ▁mind ▁when ▁T reen ▁took ▁an ▁active ▁st ance ▁for ▁Don el on . ▁T au zin ▁also ▁had ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁Lieutenant ▁Governor ▁Fre eman , ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁Russell ▁B . ▁Long , ▁and ▁Represent ative ▁John ▁Bre aux ▁from ▁then ▁Louisiana ' s ▁ 7 th ▁con gression al ▁district , ▁who ▁had ▁succeeded ▁Edwards ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁House ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁and ▁would ▁follow ▁Long ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁special ▁con gression al ▁race , ▁Gu aris co ▁carried ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Orleans ▁Times - P ic ay une ▁and ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁either ▁T reen ▁or ▁Edwards , ▁adding ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁" in dependent ▁of ▁all ▁that ." ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁of ▁ball oting ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 9 , ▁Gu aris co ▁was ▁elimin ated ; ▁he ▁pol led ▁ 8 , 9 2 7