The District 22 Senate race, which includes Lafayette, Iberia, and St. Martin parishes is one of the most competitive in the state. The top two candidates are House GOP leader Representative Blake Miguez and the largest sugar cane farmer in the area Hugh Andre. The Advocate Journalist Tyler Bridges said the winner will determine if the higher chamber remains conservative in a pragmatic bipartisan manner.
“Or veer to the right and embrace more ideological causes, such as scaling back support of public education, or cutting healthcare, spending for the poor, and limiting LGBTQ rights,” said Bridges.
And Bridges said the winner of this race will also determine the next Senate President Pro Tempore.
If Miguez, who’s currently leading in the polls, wins, Bridges believes the Senate will go to the extreme right.
“Miguez is a full-throated supporter of former President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Landry. He is a guy who’s very combative and wants to take it to the woke liberals,” said Bridges.
Andre, who Bridges said isn’t as polished as Miguez, is well known in the area for being self-made and his uncle and grandfather were sheriffs in St. Martin Parish. Bridges said the bipartisan political establishment in the district favors Andre.
“While they view Miguez as a very antagonistic guy who doesn’t work well with others, doesn’t bring stuff back to the district and they think Hugh Andre is a guy who could work much better with everybody,” said Bridges.
Out of the five candidates running for the Senate seat, Republicans Andre and Miguez are expected to force a runoff. The seat is being vacated by Senator Fred Mills who is term-limited.
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