Ralph Abraham in 2019 LA Governor's race

On Families & Children: I don't recommend vaping, but it's a personal choice

Gov. John EDWARDS: The President is looking at banning the flavoring of the cigarettes, and I happen to think that that's probably a smart thing to do.

Rep. ABRAHAM: Well, let's just pause for a minute. I know we're talking mostly young people here and we have lost three LSU students in the last two weeks. So thoughts and prayers; anything other than oxygen that you put in your lungs is not good. As a physician, I can tell you that. On the e-cigarettes, the vaping--I've seen the pathology reports. And they do cause damage. Now, it's a personal choice. Certainly if you're over 21, you smoke a cigarette, I don't recommend it. If you do e-cigarettes, I certainly don't recommend that either. But it is a personal choice. Below 21, I think we need to put the regulation that we have on other cigarettes in place, if the data drives us to a more concrete conclusion, then we follow the data.

On Families & Children: Show kids pictures of e-cigarette-affected lungs

EEddie RISPONE: I'd do everything I could to discourage you from using e-cigarettes just like regular cigarettes; both of them are very harmful to their health.

Gov. John Bel EDWARDS: Part of the problem is many people believe it is a safer alternative, when in fact it is not. And certainly the flavorings lend themselves to children being attractive, but I would tell them, please not to do that.

Rep. Ralph ABRAHAM: Look, an optic is worth 1000 words literally. And even though they're young, my grandchildren, I would show them a lung that has been damaged not only by cigarettes, but by e-cigarettes too. I've seen them and it's impressive. So they would get the picture literally.

On Tax Reform: Taxes kill jobs and sales tax killed Louisiana's economy

Rep. ABRAHAM: This governor helped create the deficit. He voted for the majority of Governor Jindal's budgets. And we have the highest sales tax in the nation. We have lost jobs more than any other state in the nation. And it's due to taxes, taxes, taxes. I happen to have an op ed in my pocket. That was written by Gov. Edwards. And Governor, you said that raising the sales tax will kill the Louisiana economy. Congratulations, Governor, you killed it. It is because our taxes are too high.

Gov. EDWARDS: That's an absurd statement. The economy is the biggest it's ever been in our state. Personal income is the highest it's ever been. And unemployment is the lowest in 11 years. That's why we're running a surplus, because the economy is performing better.

On Drugs: Opioids are less dangerous and more effective than marijuana

Abraham has been openly enthusiastic about his support for opioid treatments, once suggesting that the drugs are far less dangerous and much more effective than medical marijuana.

"As a physician, let me tell you. What I see in my practice, from any level of marijuana use, is bad," Abraham stated in a 2014 debate. "I'm against recreational, I'm against medical. In the medical profession, for these chronic pain, poor cancer patients that need help, we have other alternatives that work better, Dilaudid, OxyContin, you name it, Oxycodone, we have several options that do a much better job for chronic pain."

Opioid overdoses surged an astonishing 14% in 2014, which was largely a consequence of physicians overprescribing the drugs.

On Crime: I favor the death penalty & I'm also favor enforcing it

On Health Care: ObamaCare a daily dangerous debacle for working physicians

"I've said all along, concerning the Affordable Care Act, there are some great features," Mayo said. "There are some challenges and there are some issues with the Affordable Care Act. You don't just tear up the whole thing and try to bring something back. You just fix what's wrong with it."

Abraham said he thinks it needs to be repealed. "You should come to my practice in Mangham on a daily basis and I can show you the debacle of the ObamaCare law, if we can even call it that," he said. "As a practicing physician, right now, it's not working and it's even dangerous."

On Health Care: No expansion of Medicaid, even if I make money on it

Abraham responded by saying expanding Medicaid would be a bad thing. "You would think if I've made millions of dollars from it, then I would be for it." Abraham said. "To expand Medicaid would take in 500,000-plus people. What the Obama administration won't tell you is that 260,000 of those would be moved from private insurance groups."

On Immigration: No amnesty; seal the borders

Mayo said President Barack Obama's hands are tied. "The borders need to be fixed," he said. "If you've got a bipartisan bill that's passed, and then you want to have a party leader who will not even take it to a vote, then what else can you do?"

On Jobs: Women deserve equal pay

The candidates were also asked what their top priorities would be if elected. "There are many," Abraham said. "Spending has to be curtailed. Borders have to be sealed. Military has to be shored up. We have to start finding jobs, and good jobs, for our people."

On Tax Reform: Tax code is outdated and it's leaking billions

Abraham said the tax code is a problem. "We've got to get rid of this tax code," he said. "It's overrated and it's outdated and it's leaking billions."