District 3 Congressional challenger Holden Hoggatt’s new campaign video is a straight-up parody of the Crimestoppers videos that helped make incumbent Congressman Clay Higgins well-known. In the video, called “Congressional Crimestoppers”, an actor wearing a deputy-like uniform imitates Higgins’ stance and voice and he calls the congressman out on his past; saying a fraud was elected to congress in 2016. The actors opens with “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, threatening her is she divorced him and refusing to pay child support for 17 years.”
You can view Hoggatt’s campaign video here.
Hoggatt is also a Republican, but feels Higgins has dropped the ball in helping his district recover from the 2020 hurricanes, and attacks his “no” votes for helping Louisiana’s roadways via the federal Infrastructure Law. Political analyst Roy Fletcher says Hoggatt’s campaign ad comes with some risks…
“The problem with any ad like this is ‘what is the response?’ …my suspicion is it will be, since we’ve gone into parody…there may be some parody back at Hoggatt,” says Fletcher.
For his part, Congressman Higgins says he has not seen Hoggatt’s campaign video, and he’s not likely to. It’s been over seven years since Clay Higgins did a Crimestoppers video for the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. He came to be called the “Cajun John Wayne” for the clips. Fletcher says, in this case, voters likely still remember them well…:
“..because they were so different at the time that Higgins did those things, so…yeah, I think they can count on a long memory.”
Hoggatt’s campaign video is on YouTube. Fletcher says if he cannot buy a lot of TV time, it may be of little help in beating Higgins. For his part, Congressman Higgins says he pays no attention to attack ads…
“I’m just going to keep working. They can do what they want; say what they want. I have a job to do, a nation to serve and 750-thousand constituents to represent,” says Higgins.
Higgins is seeking a fourth-term in office. Hoggatt appears to be his best-funded challenger. Higgins says he remains focused on serving the people of southwest Louisiana; including those seeking to replace him…
“They’re not my opponents; they’re my constituents, and I am just going to keep working. They can do what they want & say what they want.”
Hoggatt’s campaign spokesperson Mary Patricia Wray says they felt voters need to be educated as to Higgins past.
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