BATON ROUGE (AP) - Gov. John Bel Edwards is sitting on a $5 million campaign account to run for re-election next year.

  

The Democratic governor's latest campaign finance report , covering money raised and spent in 2017, was filed Thursday. The report shows Edwards raised more than $2 million last year and has $5 million in the bank.

  

His fundraising slowed slightly, from more than $3 million a year earlier. But with $5 million on hand only halfway through his term, Edwards will have formidable funds for the 2019 race.

  

Among Republicans who say they may run against Edwards are U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham and state Sen. Sharon Hewitt. Attorney General Jeff Landry and Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, also are considered possible challengers.