After a long fought battle in District 22, Blake Miguez came out on top, but his opponents are proud of their run.

Blake Miguez won the Senate seat for District 22 with just over 61% of the votes. He built his campaign on conservative action, something Miguez said the people of District 22 want.

“Our victory is a resounding mandate from our district, indicating a desire for leadership rooted in conservative values and sincere representation. This shift towards conservatism highlights the public’s longing for leaders who truly prioritize their needs, pushing back against the status quo of establishment politics,” Miguez said.

Miguez said he is committed to taking the next steps in ensuring representation and action for the people of District 22 and Louisiana.

“I’m deeply humbled by the trust placed in me and am committed to ensuring that our citizens’ voices don’t just echo in the halls of power but lead to genuine change,” Miguez said.

Hugh Andre trailed Miguez in the polls with over 20% of the votes. Andre believes Louisiana has suffered under what he called, politicians’ experience, versus business experience. While Andre doesn’t have much experience in politics, he believed his years of experience as a business owner and farmer would give him a step up against other candidates.

“I’ve been farming on my own for 25 years, starting from the ground up. I got a lot of bumps and bruises along the way, but I made it here today. I think people are misled on the experience side of things as far as being very polished, talking, and giving speeches. That’s a politician’s experience. The reason this state is where we’re at is because we’re politician-experienced, not business-experienced,” Andre said.

Andre said his dedication to work would be the same despite the outcome of the election. No matter if he lost or won, he was ready to get up the next day and work.

“I’m okay either way. I have to haul sugarcane tomorrow morning if I’m the senator or if I’m not the senator. Same time, same place tomorrow morning.”

Andre said he is done with politics after the election because he only wanted to make a play for the Senate, and has no more steam left to run with.

“I ran as hard as I could. I gave it everything, everything I had and there’s nothing left in the gas tank. I think we ran a good campaign, a clean campaign. We gave the people an option, and I’m perfectly okay with that,” Andre said.

Throughout his campaign, Phanat Xanamane was the most unique candidate in both background and policy, and recognized the potential struggle that might bring.

“Let’s face it, folks, running as the first Lao American openly gay Buddhist progressive Democrat refugee immigrant in conservative Louisiana was a long shot.”

Despite starting his campaign just two months before the election, Xanamane received over 5.5% of the votes. Xanamane’s campaign was never just about winning, but rather empowering communities and strengthening democracy through inclusion.

“Our campaign was about more than just winning votes. It was about breaking barriers and challenging the status quo. It was about showing the power of inclusive representation and proving that diversity strengthens our democracy. We shattered expectations and inspired countless individuals who never thought they would see someone like themselves on the political stage.”

Xanamane wanted to thank all of his supporters, his team, and his community for coming together and propelling his campaign. Xanamane also hinted at potentially running again in the future, but that is yet to be seen.

“While the election results may not have swung in our favor, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible journey we embarked upon together,” Xanamane said.