(The Center Square) – Republican state Sen. Blake Miguez has amassed more than $6.6 million in campaign receipts in Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District race, far outpacing his opponents financially despite polling that suggests the contest remains competitive.
According to Federal Election Commission filings, Miguez reported $6,612,410 in total receipts, including approximately $3.48 million in individual contributions and $3.01 million in loans from the candidate himself. Miguez has reported nearly 13 times as much money as fellow Republican state Sen. Rick Edmonds.
Edmonds reported $512,092 in total receipts, including approximately $341,000 in individual contributions and $155,000 in candidate loans.
Miguez has also spent considerably more than his opponents. His campaign reported approximately $4.58 million in expenditures, leaving just over $2 million in cash on hand as of July 18. Edmonds had approximately $315,000 remaining, during to the same reporting period.
Miguez has spent campaign funds on advertisements portraying himself as a Washington outsider, contrasting his candidacy with those of “career politicians” whom he argues need to be held accountable.
“Regular people have to live by the rules. Politicians live like a protected class,” Miguez wrote in a Facebook post. He mentions a law he authored in the spring that expands the period during which prosecutors can bring certain public corruption charges against elected officials and government employees.
Despite the spending, Miguez has yet to establish a clear lead in the limited public polling conducted so far.
A September survey commissioned by the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Foundation for a televised congressional debate showed Edmonds narrowly leading the field with 13.8% support, followed by Democrat Chauna Banks at 13.2% and Miguez at 9.7%.
Democrats Lindsay “Rubia” Garcia and Pat Forbes received 7.7% and 7.6%, respectively. More than one-third of respondents remained undecided.
The survey of 790 likely voters had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points, meaning the differences among the leading candidates fell within the poll’s margin of error.
Miguez and Edmonds have both campaigned as conservative supporters of President Donald Trump, emphasizing immigration enforcement, government spending and economic development.
Their rivalry has also exposed divisions within the state’s Republican establishment. The Louisiana Republican Party endorsed both candidates, while Gov. Jeff Landry has not publicly endorsed either.
Miguez’s absence from several candidate forums has also become an issue in the race. Edmonds criticized his Republican opponent for skipping an Oct. 9 televised debate in Baton Rouge, where candidates discussed immigration, the war in Iran and affordability.
The newly redrawn district, which includes Baton Rouge and surrounding communities, is considered strongly Republican. Trump carried its territory comfortably in 2024, making the competition between Republican candidates particularly consequential.
Louisiana uses an open primary system in which candidates from all parties compete on the same ballot. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote Nov. 3, the two leading candidates will advance to a Dec. 12 runoff.
