Saturday is Election Day in Louisiana.

Up for grabs will be several statewide offices including Louisiana’s Governor and Secretary of State.

Also on the ballots will be several important district and local races for Concordia Parish, including several police jury positions and the Clerk of Court position that has not been open in decades.

However, all eyes of the nation will be on Louisiana on Saturday as the state chooses between incumbent Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards and Republican challenger “Eddie” Rispone.

Edwards is one of the few Democratic governors in the Deep South and many people view the Louisiana Governor’s race as a referendum on President Donald Trump, who has visited the state at least twice in support of Rispone.

More importantly than the implications of the governor’s race, however, are the local races that will determine who will serve the needs of the local community for the next four years.

All politics is local, the saying goes, and it doesn’t get any more true than when you realize how the decisions made by your local representatives affect your life, whether it be the quality of the local water or the response to flood conditions and other disasters.

Study up on the candidates and don’t forget to vote Saturday. The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Choose wisely Saturday. May the best candidates win.