Voters across Acadiana, Southwest Louisiana and parts of Terrebonne Parish headed to the polls Tuesday to decide who represents them in the U.S. House, with six names on the ballot for the 3rd Congressional District seat. The field includes incumbent Clay Higgins, Republican Kate Cotten, Democrats John Day, Priscilla Gonzales and Caleb “With a C” Walker, and no-party candidate Tia LeBrun.
The district itself stretches across a wide and distinct swath of south Louisiana. According to WDSU, the 3rd Congressional District covers Acadiana and Southwest Louisiana, as well as portions of Terrebonne Parish — a coastal, bayou-threaded region where energy and environmental issues tend to dominate local politics as much as national ones do.
Higgins Seeks a Sixth Term After a Decade in Office
Higgins has held the seat since 2016 and has served five terms; if reelected, the station reports, he would enter a sixth term in the position. Before Congress, he first made national headlines in southwest Louisiana as a sheriff's department captain who produced anti-crime videos urging criminals to turn themselves in, a persona that earned him the nickname “Cajun John Wayne,” per the same WDSU account.
Higgins is not new to winning this seat outright. He won reelection to the U.S. House in 2024, and the Associated Press called that race for him at 9:07 p.m. Central Time, according to WWNO.
WDSU identifies Clay Higgins as the incumbent candidate on the ballot, and Ballotpedia also identifies Higgins as the incumbent.
SpaceX, Carbon Capture Split the Challenger Field
Beyond the incumbency question, the race has turned on a cluster of energy and development issues specific to the coast. Candidate Kate Cotten told KPLC she wants more proof that a proposed SpaceX project would actually help the region, saying, “I would really need to see more research that proves that development like that results in positive impacts for our coast and our community.”
Cotten also addressed the contentious issue of eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines, telling the station she believes such decisions should be handled individually rather than through a blanket policy. “I think it's something that should be decided on a case-by-case basis,” she said, adding that she was hesitant to support a widespread ban.
Democratic candidate John Day staked out a different position on both fronts in the same report. He said he backs the broader expansion of energy and technology development in Louisiana, including SpaceX, but drew a line on location: “I support the expansion of energy and technology and all forms of energy in Louisiana, including SpaceX. I don't think Vermillion Parish is the right spot.” On carbon capture as it has been pursued in the state, Day was blunt: “I'm wholly against it.”
A Possible Runoff Looms in December
With six candidates splitting the vote, a runoff is a real possibility — though the sourcing on exactly how that would work differs. WDSU reports that a runoff will be held in December if no one candidate receives 50% of the vote. KPLC, meanwhile, reports that if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote on Tuesday, the top two finishers will meet in a runoff on Dec. 12.
Louisiana's own election rules offer some clarity on the underlying standard. The Louisiana Secretary of State defines a majority as one more than 50% of the total votes cast for an office, and states that when one candidate is to be elected, a candidate who receives a majority in a primary election wins outright.
