Changes

Higgins' campaign hit a snag in October 2016, when ''[[Salon Media Group|Salon]]'', the [[Internet]] magazine, reported that he used his former position in the St. Landry Parish sheriff's department to launch private business deals while on public employment. Prior to the disclosure, Higgins had been running second to Scott Angelle in the preliminary congressional polls.<ref name=salon>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2016/10/02/uniform-misconduct-inside-the-rise-and-possible-fall-of-the-cajun-john-wayne-gop-congressional-candidate-clay-higgins/|title=Uniform misconduct: Inside the rise and possible fall of 'The Cajun John Wayne', GOP congressional candidate Clay Higgins|author=Zack Kopplin|publisher=[[Salon Media Group|Salon.com]]|accessdate=October 4, 2016}}</ref>

Higgins' campaign hit a snag in October 2016, when ''[[Salon Media Group|Salon]]'', the [[Internet]] magazine, reported that he used his former position in the St. Landry Parish sheriff's department to launch private business deals while on public employment. Prior to the disclosure, Higgins had been running second to Scott Angelle in the preliminary congressional polls.<ref name=salon>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2016/10/02/uniform-misconduct-inside-the-rise-and-possible-fall-of-the-cajun-john-wayne-gop-congressional-candidate-clay-higgins/|title=Uniform misconduct: Inside the rise and possible fall of 'The Cajun John Wayne', GOP congressional candidate Clay Higgins|author=Zack Kopplin|publisher=[[Salon Media Group|Salon.com]]|accessdate=October 4, 2016}}</ref>

In the primary held in conjunction with the presidential election in which [[Donald Trump]] easily carried the Louisiana [[electoral vote]], Angelle led a 12-candidate field with 91,374 votes (28.6 percent). Higgins trailed in second place with 84,809 ballots (26.5 percent). Finishing third was the Democrat Jacob "Dorian Phibian" Hebert, who polled 28,358 votes (8.9 percent). In seventh place was the Republican former state Representative Brett Geymann of Lake Charles, with 21,606 (6.8 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Static#/2016-11-08/resultsRace/Congressional|title=Election Returns|date=November 8, 2016|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=November 9, 2016}}</ref>

In the primary held in conjunction with the presidential election in which [[Donald Trump]] easily carried the Louisiana [[electoral vote]], Angelle led a 12-candidate field with 91,374 votes (28.6 percent). Higgins trailed in second place with 84,809 ballots (26.5 percent). Finishing third was the Democrat Jacob "Dorian Phibian" Hebert, who polled 28,358 votes (8.9 percent). In seventh place was the Republican former state Representative Brett Geymann of Lake Charles, with 21,606 (6.8 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Static#/2016-11-08/resultsRace/Congressional|title=Election Returns|date=November 8, 2016|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=November 9, 2016}}</ref> Higgins trailed Angelle by 6,624 votes out of 320,434 cast in the 12-man field.<ref name=childsupport/>

 

As Higgins headed into the runoff contest with Angelle, one of his former wives, Rosemary “Stormy” Rothkamm Hambrice, from whom he was divorced in 1999, filed a $140,826 suit against him for nonpayment of child support for their children, now all adults. The suit contends that Higgins halted child-support payments in Marcb 2005, when the youngest child was ten years of age. A judge in Orange County, [[Texas]], directed Higgins to begin paying Hambrice $1,289 per month.<ref name=childsupport>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/politics/elections/article_cebe9e74-a860-11e6-a359-97e4a64fbd9f.html?sr_source=lift_amplify|title=Clay Higgins, in runoff for 3rd District seat, faces child support lawsuit from former wife|publisher=''Baton Rouge Morning Advocate''|date=November 11, 2016|accessdate=November 13, 2016}}</ref>

A Trump supporter, Higgins carries the backing of the Lafayette-based talk radio host Moon Griffon, a long-term Angelle critic.

A Trump supporter, Higgins carries the backing of the Lafayette-based talk radio host Moon Griffon, a long-term Angelle critic.