Congressional race brings Rudy Giuliani to Lafayette in support of Higgins opponent

Amanda McElfresh | The Daily Advertiser

Show Caption Hide Caption Rudy Giuliani supports Congressional candidate Josh Guillory Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and a current lawyer for President Donald Trump, visited Lafayette on June 25 for events to support Josh Guillory. Guillory is a Lafayette lawyer running for the 3rd Congressional district seat.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani threw his full support Monday behind Lafayette lawyer Josh Guillory, who is running to represent Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional district.

“I believe in encouraging young people who are worthy candidates. I think Josh is one of the better ones in the country,” Giuliani said. “It’s a great race where he can add a lot of vitality, a lot of youth, a lot of integrity and a great record of public service already in the military, to Congress, and we need that.”

Giuliani appeared with Guillory at a roundtable discussion and luncheon Monday at the Petroleum Club. The two spoke with the media after the events.

RELATED: Will more blacks vote Republican in 2018?

Giuliani said Guillory came to his attention via Jennifer LeBlanc, a Lafayette woman who once worked on Giuliani's presidential campaign. Giuliani said he saw LeBlanc a couple of months ago in Washington. She mentioned Guillory, prompting Giuliani to research the candidate.

"We need new people and some vitality in the Congressional delegation," Giuliani said. "I see him as a perfect candidate that I'd like to support when I get an opportunity to do it."

Guillory’s most formidable opponent is likely to be fellow Republican, incumbent Rep. Clay Higgins.

“Incumbents get beaten, but they don’t get beaten early, they get beaten late,” Giuliani said. “You’ve got to see this as the beginning of an effort rather than the last stages of it.”

After Giuliani, now a lawyer for President Donald Trump, publicly announced his support for Guillory, Trump tweeted his support for Higgins. Giuliani said the difference is not a sign of strife between the two men.

“He’s the head of the party, and you endorse the incumbent,” Giuliani said of Trump’s support of Higgins. “I don’t know that he knows all the details of it. But I’m not going to interfere with that. The President is a great man, a great President, nobody defends him more than I do. Doesn’t mean we see eye to eye. Or sometimes we get different information.”

Both Giuliani and Guillory said they are concerned that Higgins lives outside of the 3rd Congressional district.

“When you live here and you go to the same Little League ball games, same restaurants, same gas stations, you tend to know the best interest of your community because you live and breathe it every day,” Guillory said. “Every piece of legislation that I vote on, that I look across, will have a direct impact on my family, and that means a lot to me … I love this district. It’s my home, and every day I’m up there I will fight for it.”