Louisiana’s Republican candidates are actively seeking President Donald Trump’s endorsement for the November 3 primaries. State Sen. Stewart Cathey, state Reps. Mike Echols, and Gabe Firment have all spoken with White House staff ahead of signing up to run for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional district.
Trump’s Endorsement
Trump’s backing is thought to carry significant weight, especially in districts like the 5th and 6th that lean Republican. His endorsement of U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow was considered key to her winning the GOP primary for Louisiana’s U.S. Senate seat.
However, Trump’s involvement in Louisiana’s races has a complication: the president already endorsed state Sen. Blake Miguez 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.
Redrawn Districts
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, was changed from majority Black to majority white, and Fields declined to run for office again.
State Sen. Rick Edmonds, who is running for the 6th District, said he’s confident Trump won’t back Miguez again. Edmonds also spoke with Trump’s staff and House Majority Leader Steven Scalise about the president’s support before qualifying for the 6th District race.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
