A colonel, a wizard, a cowboy and an Indian chief walk into the Secretary of State’s office… No, it’s not the opening line of a joke, it was what happened on the concluding day of qualifying for the November 8th elections.
“I am chairman of the tribe for the Louisiana Band of Choctaw. I also am chief of police for them,” said Billy Burkette.
A Republican, Burkette is the lone challenger to incumbent Ralph Abraham for the 5th congressional district seat.
The cowboy is Clay Higgins.
“You know, the Constitution represents us all, ponder,” he told reporters after signing up to run in the 3rd congressional district race.
Higgins is known as the “Cajun John Wayne” for his Crime Stoppers videos. The former St. Landry Parish sheriff’s captain, a Republican, is one of 12 in the 3rd congressional district race.
“The boot of the federal government is on the throat of businesses in the 3rd District. Well, I’m bringing my own boot to Washington, D.C., and they’re not gonna like it,” Higgins said.
The U.S. Senate contest, an open seat due to the announced retirement of David Vitter, ended up with 24 candidates.
“But there’s only one colonel, only one warrior.”
That is retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness, who came in 3rd in the 2014 Senate race.
“Look around you. We’re weaker than we’ve ever been. We’re not leading. The world’s on fire,” Maness said, after signing up to run. “And every person that’s been in Washington bears responsibility for that. This election is the time to hold them accountable.”
Also in the Senate race—former Ku Klux Klan wizard, David Duke.
“I have no apologies for my history – no apologies! You know and I know I was right,” Duke said, during his post-qualifying statement to reporters—a speech that lasted more than 45 minutes.
“The truth is, we’re the ones facing violence today,’” Duke stated. “There are hundreds of thousands of European-Americans who are violently attacked by black people.”
While the former one-term state representative is running as a Republican, the Louisiana GOP issued a statement opposing his candidacy – quote – “for any public office.”