Here’s the press release…

“Our families and communities in Southwest Louisiana, who help feed and fuel this nation, are struggling to survive oil prices at historic lows. Layoffs are happening every day. Our people need to know that Washington has our back. Instead, Washington’s answer is more regulations and a massive job-killing tax hike. It makes absolutely no sense.

Time and time again, when things get bad, the politicians in Washington rush in and make it worse! It’s time we make them listen. And this is no ordinary time. Our families are suffering, our coast is eroding, our jobs are disappearing and Washington refuses to listen to us.

That’s why, today, I am announcing my candidacy for the Third Congressional District. I’m going to Washington and I’m going to make them listen.

The last time the oil and gas economy was under attack was when Washington declared a moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling. But we fought back, we stood up, we spoke out, and we made Washington listen. I said it at the time, and I believe it to this day, the drilling moratorium did not hurt the shareholders of BP, Exxon, and Chevron, it hurt the Boudreauxs and the Thibodeauxs and the Cheramies and the Calais. We came together. We spoke with one voice. And we made Washington listen.

But Washington’s incompetence and overreach did not end with the Moratorium. In fact, it would take too long to list the problems Washington politicians have created for us…Veterans not receiving the care they deserve because of a corrupt and incompetent Veterans Administration…Farmers harassed by an Environmental Protection Agency too focused on regulating backyard puddles…Hard-working families struggling with rising healthcare costs because of Washington’s unwillingness to repeal and replace ObamaCare…The growing threat of terrorism from radical Islam…The federal government threatening to take away critical royalties for coastal restoration…and now we have our jobs and salaries threatened by a rising wave of illegal immigration because Washington politicians refuse to listen and secure our border.

As your congressman, I will defend the Second Amendment, protect the sanctity of life and fight for religious freedom. I will stand up for our brave law enforcement officers and I will never cave to political correctness. I’ll continue to be a partner to our coastal ports, support our local farmers, and work with our economic development partners to cut the red tape and allow job creation.

Public service should be about hard work, addressing problems head-on, and serving the public with courtesy and kindness.

It’s time we make the Washington politicians listen.  Make them listen to us and make the changes needed so we can grow our economy and create jobs. We are going to travel across this district from the Sabine to the Atchafalaya, from Big Lake to Bayou Teche, from the Calcasieu, the Mermentau and the Vermillion to meet all of the people of the Third Congressional District and earn the chance to serve the people of this great state.

Times are tough right now, but I will always believe that Louisiana and America’s best days are ahead of us.  My wife, Dianne, our five children, Zack, Alexandra, Simone, Jean-Paul, Marissa, our son-in-law, Louis, and I humbly ask for your prayers and for your vote this Fall as we set out to make Washington listen.”

The big question seems to be: what took you so long?

Angelle waited all the way until March to join the race, and he’s already got four other Republican opponents – some of whom might well have been scared off had he declared earlier. Now he’s got Eric Knezek, Greg Ellison, Grover Rees and, just recently, former state representative Brett Geymann all running.

And while he’s to be considered the favorite based on name recognition and his ability to raise money, plus a political resume that makes him a bigger name than anybody else in the field, in this climate it’s no guarantee he’s the winner. A long political resume’ tells voters you’re an “insider” or even “establishment,” and we see what that gets you.

Having waited so long to get in it’s entirely possible Angelle has left the barn door open and one of those horses – we’re not going to predict who, because we don’t know much about them yet – might well get out and run free. Angelle might have created space for someone to get his campaign off the ground and beat him bloody with charges that he’s a RINO for having been a Democrat, blaming him for allowing John Bel Edwards to get elected governor and raise taxes, or even tar him as being “Jindal’s guy.”

Will any of that work? Too soon to say. But it’s no stretch to say the chances of it working are a lot greater with four different opponents already in the race than if an early Angelle entry had scared them off.