I’m getting ready to go later today (Saturday, March 14th) to US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s Crawfish Boil. While I don’t live in his district, someone I met at an event for US House Speaker Mike Johnson last year invited me and I’m looking forward to going over to St. Tammany Parish later today.

Behind me on the mantle where I’m writing this article at my alternative address in Ascension parish, I have all four cups of the Louisiana Republican US House congressional delegation (US  House Speaker Mike Johnson, US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise ,US Congresswoman Julia Letlow, & US Congressman Clay Higgins) and I’d like get more Republican cups next year for the US House congressional delegation under the “Second Corinthians 5:20 Campaign for Christ” sign that reminds me “Jesus is Lord”.

Like many of you, I expected the United States Supreme Court to rule by now that the current Louisiana congressional districts are unconstitutional. I can’t help but wonder what is taking the Supreme Court so long to do this and hope it doesn’t take them as long as it has taken to figure out who leaked the Dobbs opinion to get us a ruling here in Louisiana.

Even though I have a preferred candidate in the 5^th congressional district to replace US Congresswoman Julia Letlow who myself, President Trump, and many of you are supporting for the US Senate seat here in Louisiana. I’ve publicly kept my powder dry in that race for now because I am not 100% convinced yet that my legal address in Concordia parish will still be in the same congressional district as my alternative address in Ascension parish if the Supreme Court rules and Louisiana can somehow legally still change its congressional districts for 2026. I have multiple friends (State Senator Blake Miguez, State Senator Rick Edmonds, State Representative Michael Echols, Louisiana Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell) who are running in the current 5^th congressional district and others (Baton Rouge area businessman Stephen Wagley, State Senator Stewart Cathey, and State Representative Dixon McMakin) who decided not to qualify as the 5^th congressional district is currently drawn.  I will lose no sleep at night if any 1, 2 or even 3 of them joined US House Speaker Johnson, US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise & US Congressman Higgins with a redrawn US House map under different circumstances to fortify our Republican majority. The 5^th District as it is currently drawn will have no problem electing whoever wins the Republican nomination.

I am not a lawyer or redistricting expert but with every passing day without a US Supreme Court ruling here in Louisiana the odds look more like we will be in the current congressional districts when we go to the polls on May 16th. In the last few days, I’ve been in Rapides, St. Landry, Lafayette, and East Baton Rouge parishes where the current 6^th congressional district is. It also goes all the way up to Caddo parish. As it is drawn it will be an uphill climb for any Republican to beat the entrenched Democrat incumbent. I have thought for a long time you would need a black female Republican from East Baton Rouge parish with a record of public service and that is steeped in faith to have any chance to beat the incumbent in the current Louisiana 6th congressional district as it is drawn from East Baton Rouge to Caddo parishes. Thankfully, my friend Monique Appeaning is that and has stepped up to run in the current Louisiana congressional district 6. I got to know Monique well as a fellow warrior on Speaker Mike Johnson’s prayer team. (Legal disclaimer: To my knowledge US House Speaker Mike Johnson or any arm of his has not intervened in this race) She faithfully has served this state in jobs in the Louisiana Legislature and helping East Baton Rouge Republican Mayor-President Sid Edwards as Assistant Chief Administrative Officer clean up the mess that was city hall in Baton Rouge that was left by 20 years of Democrat rule. She also helped form a Republican Women’s club in St. George. Has she ruffled a few feathers in her career and stepped on a few toes, absolutely. Is she the best and frankly only long shot we as Republicans have of winning in the current 6^th congressional district of Louisiana as it’s drawn, yes.

On that same mantle, I have a button that I got years ago from folks in Ouachita parish that reads “I don’t know about you but I’m going to PRAY.” PRAY is in big red letters. It’s a reminder to me today that we need to PRAY for Republican victories in the US House not only here in Louisiana but in the other 49 states as well to help US House Speaker Mike Johnson & US House Majority Leader Steve Scalise retain jobs they currently have and grow the majority so they can get more things done.