Rep. Clay Higgins opted out of challenging Sen. Bill Cassidy in the Louisiana Republican primary. And for now, he’s not endorsing anyone — although he told NOTUS he’s been plenty involved in conversations behind the scenes.
“I don’t want to put my thumb on the scale,” Higgins told NOTUS. “Because there are several Louisiana citizens that are contemplating entering that fray, and they’ve all reached out to me.”
As the state’s first closed congressional primary elections in decades, the contest next April will be a test of Cassidy’s strength in a state President Donald Trump won by 22 points in November. Higgins was considered a strong potential primary challenger. Now that he’s out, more candidates might be inspired to join the race, said John Couvillon, founder and president of JMC Enterprises, a Louisiana political consulting firm.