Club for Growth Going after Edmonds in LA U.S. Rep race for 3 bills, 2 Miguez supported

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State senators Rick Edmonds and Blake Miguez – the highest-profile candidates for a vacant Baton Rouge-based congressional seat – have earned a reputation as solid conservatives.

Both have a 100% anti-abortion voting record from Louisiana Right to Life during their years in the state Legislature. Both score at least 90% from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Both score 100% from the National Federation of Independent Business. Both have the endorsement of the Louisiana Republican Party.

But a Washington, D.C.-based group, Club for Growth, has just launched a million-dollar attack ad against Edmonds that says he “lies,” is a “sellout” and is guilty of “betrayal” for his position on three bills over the past five years.

Club for Growth has endorsed Miguez – even though he voted with Edmonds on two of the three bills. Both were tax measures signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry.

Edmonds is crying foul.

“Club for Growth is spending big dollars to distort my conservative voting record,” Edmonds said in a statement. “Their bogus ad is an attack on our conservative legislature and governor’s efforts to reform the state’s outdated tax code, to give the largest tax cut in Louisiana history, and to bring billions in historic investments to the State of Louisiana, including SpaceX, Venture Global, Meta and Hyundai.”

Edmonds added, “Club for Growth wouldn’t know the truth, because, like Blake Miguez, they are not from here and they don’t care about our people.”

Edmonds has been attacking Miguez for living in Erath, near New Iberia and outside the 6th District. Miguez notes that he studied in Baton Rouge and currently owns a house in the district.

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The Club for Growth ad highlighted a statement by Edmonds from 2016 where, then a state House member, he said, “I would not raise their taxes in order to avoid cutting the size of government.”

Edmonds also signed the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” from Americans for Tax Reform “to oppose and vote against tax hikes.”

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In 2024, Edmonds and Miguez both voted for a bill sought by Landry that raised the state sales tax but more than offset that by reducing individual and corporate income taxes. Only one Republican legislator, state Rep. Beryl Amedee of Gray, voted against the measure, House Bill 10.

Edmonds’ vote led Club for Growth to say in the ad, “he lied, and we paid.”

The ad also said Edmonds voted to give “sweetheart tax deals for woke Big Tech companies” – a reference to legislation in 2024 that authorized Landry to give big tax breaks to Meta for its $50 billion data center now under construction in Richland Parish. Miguez also voted for that measure, House Bill 827.

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Miguez did not vote on Edmonds’ 2021 measure, House Bill 456.

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Club for Growth did not respond to a request on why it is bashing Edmonds for supporting measures also backed by Miguez. Club for Growth calls itself “the leading free-enterprise advocacy group in the nation.” It issues endorsements after having candidates fill out a lengthy questionnaire.

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LINK

I guess this is what happens when you get a national group trying to insert itself into Louisiana politics without first being informed on actual voting records.