'Cajun John Wayne' wins Louisiana House seat

BATON ROUGE - Political upstart Clay Higgins has won Louisiana's runoff for the state's 3rd District U.S. House seat, defeating a fellow Republican once considered a lock on the job.



Higgins, a former sheriff's captain dubbed the "Cajun John Wayne" for his attention-grabbing Crime Stoppers segments, trounced Scott Angelle, a state utility regulator, in Saturday's election.



Angelle, third-place finisher in last year's governor's race, has been an elected or appointed official for nearly three decades. He had been the presumed front-runner since announcing his campaign, armed with more money and support than any competitors in the primary.



But Higgins tapped into national discontent with long-time politicians, characterizing his opponent as part of an "establishment machine" that needs to be uprooted.



The 3rd District covers southwest and south central Louisiana.