Republican state Sen. Blake Miguez of New Iberia has entered the 6th District race. Miguez previously qualified to run in the 5th District before Gov. Jeff Landry suspended the U.S. House party primaries in May and the legislature redrew their boundaries following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais.

Trump Endorsement Uncertain

In February, President Donald Trump had endorsed Miguez’s bid for Congress when the legislator was running in the 5th District. However, it’s unclear whether the president still stands by that decision, especially now that Miguez has become a candidate in a different district.

Miguez touted his Baton Rouge connections in remarks to reporters after signing up to run, including attending LSU for his bachelor’s degree and opening a business in the city. Miguez also said he received his law degree in Baton Rouge and has lived in both Baton Rouge and New Iberia his entire adult life.

Residency a Central Point

Candidate residency is likely to be a central point in the race. Miguez’s opponent, state Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, issued a pointed statement shortly after Miguez qualified again Friday.

“I’m glad Blake finally decided which district he’d run in,” Edmonds said. “He and his out-of-state supporters have been panicked since losing President Trump’s endorsement. He’s not from here, he can’t vote here, and he doesn’t understand the issues facing our communities.”

Miguez pre-empted Edmonds’ shot, alleging just minutes before that Edmonds lives in Mississippi, where he is senior pastor at First Baptist Church of McComb.

“I hope that if he were elected, you would actually move to Louisiana,” Miguez said.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.