Republicans compete for Trump endorsement in Louisiana’s congressional elections

Republican candidates in Louisiana’s two competitive U.S. House elections are actively campaigning for President Donald Trump’s endorsement for the Nov. 3 primaries.

State Sen. Stewart Cathey of Monroe, state Reps. Mike Echols of Monroe and Gabe Firment of Pollock all said they had talked to White House staff ahead of signing up to run for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional district Wednesday. Qualifying for the races continues Thursday and concludes at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

State Sen. Rick Edmonds of Baton Rouge told reporters he also spoke with Trump’s staff and House Majority Leader Steven Scalise, R-Jefferson, about the president’s support before qualifying for the 6th District race. 

“We’ve spoken to the White House and we feel very confident that they are doing due diligence in this race,” Edmonds said after signing up to run for office this week.

Trump’s backing is thought to carry a lot of weight, especially in districts like the 5th and 6th that lean Republican. His endorsement of U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, was considered key to her winning the GOP primary for Louisiana’s U.S. Senate seat over incumbent Bill Cassidy and state Treasurer John Fleming.

But Trump’s involvement in Louisiana’s races has a wrinkle: The president already endorsed state Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, in the 5th District race before May’s primaries were called off to allow legislators to redraw the boundaries for the state’s U.S. House seats.   

Heading into the second day of qualifying, Miguez hadn’t publicly announced his intention to run for Congress or whether he would seek the 5th or 6th District seat. He did not respond to phone calls and text messages Wednesday. 

Miguez’s public campaign website has also come down in the last few weeks, though his voicemail still indicates he is a candidate for Congress and his social media identifies him as a U.S. House candidate. 

“He’s playing it very close to the vest,” Sen. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, a colleague and friend of Miguez, said in an interview Wednesday. 

Louisiana’s congressional districts have changed dramatically since Miguez first decided to run for the 5th District.

The 6th District, held by U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, was changed from majority Black to majority white, and Fields declined to run for office again. It created a new opportunity for a Republican to win a congressional race in which Trump has not endorsed anyone.

In March, Miguez bought a house in Baton Rouge that was originally part of the 5th District but shifted to the 6th in the revisions to the congressional map. Before that, he lived in and represented New Iberia, which is no closer than 70 miles from the new 5th and 6th District lines.

Members of Congress aren’t required to live in the districts they represent, but it is generally thought voters prefer them to be locals. If Miguez runs for either open congressional seat, other candidates are likely to criticize him as a carpetbagger. 

Since Trump’s endorsement, there have also been news stories about a 2007 rape allegation against Miguez made by a former girlfriend. He has denied the accusations, and some members of the former girlfriend’s family have seemingly sided with Miguez in the dispute. 

Edmonds said he’s confident Trump won’t back Miguez again.

“What I do know is [Miguez] will not be getting the president’s endorsement in the 6th,” Edmonds said Wednesday after announcing his candidacy. 

Candidates who qualified for the 5th District race did not go as far as Edmonds but also seemed assured Trump would back a different Republican.

“I met with [Trump’s] political team. We’ve had numerous conversations over the last three months,” Echols said.