(photo courtesy of Blake Miguez/Facebook)
Monroe Senator Stewart Cathey does not believe politicians should be able to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives if they do not live in the district they are seeking to represent. Cathey brought Senate Concurrent Resolution number nine up for debate in the Governmental Affairs committee.
“What this has led to is a term that I have coined called Congressional Carpetbagging, which finds candidates forcing themselves in places that they are not necessarily wanted,” Cathey said.
The legislation is directed at Blake Miguez, who lives near New Iberia, but is seeking to represent District 5, which covers the Monroe and Baton Rouge areas. The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee reported the resolution without action, which technically kills the measure for the session.
“We do have a candidate seeking office, who lives outside of the district, significantly outside,” Cathey said.
Cathey was looking at running for the 5th district congressional seat currently occupied by Julia Letlow, but abandoned his campaign when President Trump endorsed Miguez.
The resolution to urge Congress to pass legislation requiring the U.S. House of Representatives candidates to live in the congressional district they seek to represent.
If a person runs for U.S. Senate, the candidate has to live in the state they represent. State legislators have to live in the district they represent and Cathey believes the same rule should apply for members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
But Houma Senator Mike Fesi says federal law allows for a U-S Representative to live outside of their district.
“We have up to 25 Congressmen don’t live in their district right now, so what kind of firestorm would this start,” Fesi said.
Fesi did not feel comfortable passing a resolution.
“I’m just confused do they all have to step down if this was to take place,” Fesi said.
“I think that’s for Congress to figure out,” Cathey said.
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