Higgins claims 3rd District seat; Parish backs Kennedy for Senate

Political neophyte Clay Higgins scored a major election upset in sweeping to victory in the U.S. Representative race in Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District Saturday.
In his first bid for public office Higgins carried all but three of the parishes, or portions of parishes, in the southwest Louisiana district, collecting 77,670 votes (56.1%) to Angelle’s 60,760 (43.9%).
Angelle, a political veteran who resides in Breaux Bridge, ran strong in Calcasieu Parish, winning 60 percent of the vote, but outpolled Higgins by only 109 votes (6,528 to 6,419) in his native St. Martin Parish.

In the U.S. Senate race, Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy easily defeated Democrat Public Service Commission member Foster Campbell, garnering 60.7 percent of the state vote.
Here in St. Martin Parish Kennedy out polled Campbell 9,531 votes to 3,557.
Turnout for the general election runoff in St. Martin Parish was relatively light, with only 13,088 ballots cast out of 37,200 registered voters, or 35.2 percent participation.

Angelle, who began his political career as a member of the St. Martin Police Jury, served as the first parish president when local government switched to a home rule charter in 1999. He later served as secretary of the state Department of Natural Resources during the administration of Gov. Kathleen Blanco and filled in as interim lieutenant governor under Gov. Bobby Jindal when Mitch Landrieu resigned after being elected mayor of New Orleans.
Angelle is currently serving a six-year term on the state Public Service Commission.
Higgins, 55, currently resides in Port Barre. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and National Guard, serving in the Military Police branch. He has managed a car dealership in Opelousas, worked in the Opelousas and Port Barre police departments, the St. Landry Sheriff’s Office and most recently is a Lafayette reserve deputy marshal.