'Duck Dynasty' Cousin Enters Louisiana's 5th District Congressional Race

By Katherine Weber, Christian Post Reporter Monday, June 16, 2014

A cousin of Louisiana's well-known Robertson family from "Duck Dynasty" entered the state's 5th District congressional race Monday, seeking to fill the seat that may be vacated by Rep. Vance McAllister, who announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down from his political position after he was caught on camera kissing one of his staff members.

Zach Dasher is a pharmaceutical representative and first cousin to Willie Robertson, CEO of the family's Duck Commander business based in West Monroe, Louisiana. The Calhoun native will be representing the Republican Party in the congressional race, competing against Harris Brown, a businessman from Monroe, and Ed Tarpley, former district attorney for Grant Parish. Dasher is the son of Jan Robertson Dasher, sister to patriarch Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty."

Dasher explained how his Christian beliefs motivate him to run for a political office. "Man is made in the image of the Almighty God. If we are afraid to say that, then we don't have a case for liberty. Our rights do not come from a bunch of elite politicians in Washington, D.C. They come from the Almighty God."

"We did not send people to Washington to determine our rights. We sent them there to defend our rights, but that's not what they're doing," he continued. "They're taking them away, day by day. They're forcing us to purchase their healthcare insurance because they think they know better than we do when it comes to managing our private lives."

Dasher added in a statement to The Times-Picayune: "I'm concerned when we remove God as the anchor of our society."

Willie Robertson told The News Star in May that the Robertson family was fully backing Dasher's decision to run for the congressional seat. "He's one of the smartest young guys I know, and if we convince him to run, he'll have the full support of the family."

Dasher may be competing against Rep. McAllister (R-Swartz), who announced earlier this year that he would not be seeking re-election for his congressional seat after a surveillance video surfaced, showing the married politician kissing one of his staff members.

Although McAllister initially said he would not run for re-election, he told LaPolitics last week that "I will make my decision when qualifying opens."