After He Was Caught Kissing Staff Member, U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister Won’t Seek Re-election

Rep. Vince McAllister, R-La., is shown in this official portrait from his congressional website. MCALLISTER.HOUSE.GOV

U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister, R-Swartz, told the The News-Star in Monroe that he won’t be seeking reelection to his seat next fall.

The decision comes after Gov. Bobby Jindal, Louisiana’s Republican Party state chairman Roger Villere and others asked McAllister to step down early after the married congressman was caught on video kissing a member of his staff. McAllister has told The News-Star that he plans to serve out the rest of his term, which ends in December.

The congressman’s decision not to run for relection is likely to spur a lot of interest in his position representing the 5th district in Louisiana. Several elected officials weren’t prepared to say whether they would be interested in running for the seat in the days following the scandal, but many didn’t necessarily rule out a run for Congress either.

McAllister stunned the Republican political establishment when he beat state Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia in last fall’s off-year runoff to replace then-U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman. Alexander left Congress suddenly in August to become Jindal’s Veterans Affairs Secretary.

A political newcomer, McAllister pumped hundreds of thousands of his own cash into the race to make it out of the crowded primary field of 14 candidates and into the runoff with Riser. While Riser was the Republican Party establishment’s pick to succeed Alexander, McAllister beat him out by 20 points.

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SOURCE: NOLA.com
Julia O’Donoghue