NEW ORLEANS - The next governor will be key to Louisiana's coastal crisis - either by aggressively working to save the coast or missing a chance to stop the state from slipping further into the Gulf.

Louisiana is to receive about than $8.7 billion in settlement money from by BP's catastrophic 2010 Gulf oil spill - money destined by law for environmental restoration.

All four major candidates - the three Republicans, U.S. Sen. David Vitter, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle and Democratic state Rep. John Bel Edwards - say they unequivocally support ongoing coastal restoration plans. Each has presented new ideas. 

To stop erosion and keep south Louisiana safe from flooding, the state will need to spend at least $1 billion annually for the foreseeable future, according to studies.