Clay Higgins shrugs off attack ad, files insurance bill related to hurricanes [The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.]

Sep. 29—WASHINGTON — Acadiana Congressman Clay Higgins said Thursday that he couldn't care less about a political commercial one of his opponents is airing that mocks the Crime Stoppers videos that helped build his reputation.

"I don't pay attention to political attacks and ads now. I don't even like politicians," Higgins, R-Lafayette, told Kevin Gallagher on Louisiana Radio Network on Thursday morning.

The attack ad came the same day Higgins filed legislation stemming from a string of powerful hurricanes that struck the state, a bill he says should help Louisiana homeowners find the property insurance necessary for acquiring a mortgage.

In addition to all the coverage over the political commercial, Higgins also was passed over Thursday for an endorsement by a prominent Louisiana conservative.

Called the "Cajun John Wayne," the colorful congressman is known for his tough-talking videos. Higgins came to prominence in Crime Stopper segments that aired during local newscasts. He often wore camo and brandished automatic weapons while calling out perpetrators by name in videos that caught international attention.

The rest of Louisiana's six-member congressional delegation face little-known opponents in the Nov. 8 election. Higgins is the only Louisiana congressional incumbent facing a well-funded opponent.

His most vigorous opposition is from a former supporter, Holden Hoggatt, who is an assistant district attorney and, like Higgins, a Republican based in Lafayette.

Hoggatt has bludgeoned Higgins on his sometimes-fractious relationships with his former wives. Higgins was accused in police documents of holding a gun to the head of his first wife. A protective order was issued. Also, his second wife has filed court documents accusing him of ducking child support payments totaling about $140,000.

The faux deputy in Hoggatt's satirical commercial uses the same stucco speech rhythm that Higgins made famous in his Crime Stoppers segments.

"In 2016, a fraud was elected to Congress. The perpetrator, Clay Higgins, remains at large and is wanted for putting a gun to his wife's head," the make-believe deputy says in the Hoggatt commercial. "He was last seen impersonating a congressman while voting against fixing the roads you drive on and abandoning hurricane victims."

Also on Thursday, Rob Maness, an archconservative who made a credible run for the U.S. Senate in 2014, threw his endorsement to Hoggatt.

"It's imperative we send this competent, dedicated, family-values conservative to represent the good people of Louisiana's 3rd District in south Louisiana to Washington, D.C.," Maness said on behalf of his Gator PAC organization.

Higgins has garnered his own conservative endorsements, receiving nods from the Louisiana Republican Party and from the Conservative Political Action Coalition.

Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District extends along Interstate 10 to the coast from the Atchafalaya Swamp to the Sabine River. The district includes Lafayette and Lake Charles.

Higgins on Wednesday night introduced a bill that would change the tax code and allow insurers to deduct the cost of providing homeowners insurance and policy payouts following a federally declared disaster.

Higgins Insurance Bill

"After recent disasters, we've witnessed insurers abandon the state and terminate policies," Higgins said. "This has left Louisiana families with limited insurance options, driving up costs and destroying financial security for scores of thousands of Louisiana citizens."

The tax break, Higgins argues, would be an incentive for insurance companies to stay in the state after a disaster. He said he hopes the Louisiana Legislature will draft and pass legislation that complements his efforts on the federal level.

Since the 2020 hurricane season, eight insurance companies with Louisiana policyholders have failed, and at least 12 others have withdrawn from the state, Higgins said.

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