Clay Higgins

Clay Higgins
Born	Glen Clay Higgins 24 8, 1961
Birthplace	New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, reserve law enforcement officer
Known for	U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district
Education	Louisiana State University (attended)
Children	4
Website	[clayhiggins.house.gov Official site]

Glen Clay Higgins (born August 24, 1961) is an American politician and reserve law enforcement officer who has served as the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district since January 3, 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Higgins represents a district in the southwestern corner of Louisiana that includes the cities of Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Iberia — territory once represented by former governor Edwin Edwards and former U.S. senator John Breaux. Before entering Congress, Higgins gained public attention through his career in law enforcement in St. Landry Parish, where he became known for his on-camera appeals to criminal suspects. He won a runoff election on December 10, 2016, defeating fellow Republican Scott Angelle, and was sworn into office on January 3, 2017. A member of the House Freedom Caucus, Higgins has maintained a reserve law enforcement commission with the Louisiana Attorney General's office throughout his congressional tenure. He drew significant national attention in November 2025 when he cast the sole dissenting vote against the Epstein Files Transparency Act in a 427–1 House vote.

Early Life

Glen Clay Higgins was born on August 24, 1961, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up in Louisiana and attended Louisiana State University, though he did not complete a degree.

Details about Higgins's family background and childhood years remain limited in publicly available sources. His upbringing in Louisiana shaped the regional identity and cultural connections that would later define both his law enforcement career in the Acadiana region and his political campaigns in the state's 3rd Congressional District.

Career

Law Enforcement

Before entering politics, Higgins built a career in law enforcement across several agencies in Louisiana. He served with the Opelousas City Police Department from 2005 to 2007, followed by service with the Port Barre Police Department from 2007 to 2010. In 2011, he joined the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office, where he held the rank of captain and became a public figure through his role as a spokesman for the department. Higgins's on-camera segments, in which he directly addressed criminal suspects and urged them to surrender, attracted a substantial following and brought him regional and eventually national recognition.

After departing the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office in 2016, Higgins served briefly as a reserve officer with the Lafayette City Marshal's Office from 2016 to 2019. Since 2019, he has held a reserve law enforcement commission with the Louisiana Department of Justice, under the authority of the Louisiana Attorney General's office, a position he has maintained concurrently with his service in Congress.

2016 Congressional Campaign

In 2016, Higgins announced his candidacy for Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District seat, which was being vacated by incumbent Republican Charles Boustany, who was running for the U.S. Senate. The race attracted a crowded field of candidates in Louisiana's open primary system.

Higgins advanced to a runoff election against fellow Republican Scott Angelle, a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission who had previously served as lieutenant governor. The runoff was held on December 10, 2016, and Higgins won decisively, securing the seat. His victory was notable given that Angelle had significant institutional support and political experience in statewide office, while Higgins ran largely on the strength of his public profile from law enforcement and his outsider appeal.

The 3rd Congressional District, located in the southwestern portion of Louisiana, encompasses a largely rural and conservative area with significant ties to the oil and gas industry. The district includes the cities of Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Iberia, and has historically been represented by prominent Louisiana political figures.

Congressional Tenure

Higgins was sworn into office on January 3, 2017, succeeding Charles Boustany as the representative for Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District. Upon arriving in Washington, Higgins joined the House Freedom Caucus, the conservative wing of the House Republican conference.

During his early tenure, Higgins addressed both national policy matters and constituent services. He was reported to have slept in his congressional office during his initial period of service, a practice adopted by some members of Congress to minimize living expenses in Washington, D.C. A profile in the Shreveport Times described his congressional tasks as encompassing "both lofty and mundane" responsibilities as he adjusted to his role as a freshman legislator.

On tax policy, Higgins voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 when it passed the House of Representatives in December 2017. The legislation had specific implications for Louisiana, and Higgins's vote aligned with the majority of House Republicans who supported the bill.

In early 2017, Higgins was among the Republican members of Congress who expressed support for President Donald Trump's executive order restricting travel from several majority-Muslim countries.

Higgins has been reelected to the seat multiple times since his initial 2016 victory. In February 2026, it was reported that Higgins was elected without opposition in the May 2026 Republican Party primary election for his congressional seat.

Epstein Files Transparency Act Vote

On November 18, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives voted on H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bipartisan measure to compel the release of unclassified federal documents related to the sex trafficking case of Jeffrey Epstein. The bill passed by a vote of 427 to 1, with Higgins casting the sole dissenting vote.

The vote drew immediate and widespread attention, as 216 Republicans and 211 Democrats voted in favor of the legislation, two days after President Donald Trump had urged members of his party to support the measure.

Higgins released a statement through his congressional office explaining his vote. He stated that his objection was based on concerns about the protection of victims whose identities could be exposed through the release of the documents, framing his vote as an effort to "protect Epstein victims." He stated that while he supported transparency, the bill as written did not contain sufficient protections for victims' privacy.

The Louisiana Illuminator reported on the reasoning behind Higgins's vote, noting the unusual nature of a single member of Congress opposing a measure with such overwhelming bipartisan support. The BBC described the 427–1 vote as "a rare moment of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill" that was disrupted only by Higgins's solitary dissent. Al Jazeera profiled Higgins in the wake of the vote, providing background on the congressman and his history in law enforcement and politics.

Political Affiliations and Positions

Higgins is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a congressional caucus composed of conservative and right-wing Republican members of the House of Representatives. His political views have been described as far-right by multiple news outlets.

Higgins has appeared and spoken at events organized by groups including the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers, and has identified himself as a "Three Percenter" at speaking engagements. The Three Percenters and Oath Keepers are organizations that have been associated with the militia movement in the United States.

In September 2025, Higgins sent a letter to social media company executives calling on them to remove posts celebrating violence against conservative commentator Charlie Kirk and to condemn such content publicly.

Personal Life

Higgins has been married multiple times and has four children. He resides in Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District.

During his initial period of service in Congress, Higgins was reported to sleep in his congressional office in Washington, D.C., rather than renting a separate residence in the capital.

Higgins has maintained a dual identity as both a legislator and a law enforcement officer throughout his time in Congress, holding a reserve commission with the Louisiana Department of Justice since 2019. His law enforcement career has spanned multiple agencies in Louisiana, beginning with the Opelousas City Police Department in 2005 and continuing through his reserve status with the state's Department of Justice.

Recognition

Higgins received an honorary Kentucky Colonel designation from the Governor of Kentucky, a title that has been bestowed upon various public figures and is considered a recognition of noteworthy accomplishments or service.

His most prominent moment of national media attention came in November 2025 when his lone dissenting vote against the Epstein Files Transparency Act generated coverage from major international outlets including the BBC, Al Jazeera, and Politico. The vote made Higgins a subject of widespread public discussion and placed him in an unusual position as the sole member of Congress to oppose a measure supported by both parties and encouraged by the president.

Within his district, Higgins has maintained consistent electoral support, as evidenced by his unopposed primary election in 2026. His initial victory over Scott Angelle in the 2016 runoff, despite Angelle's greater political experience and institutional backing, demonstrated the strength of his public profile and grassroots appeal in southwestern Louisiana.