A family member of the famous Robertsons who star in A&E’s Duck Dynasty reality TV show has his sights set on Congress. On Monday, the conservative Republican announced his plans to run for the US House of Representatives in northeastern Louisiana. Reuters reports that Phil Robertson’s 36-year-old nephew, Zach Dasher , is in the race for the seat of Representative Vance McAllister. Willie Robertson publicly supported McAllister in his 2013 run.
The report says it’ll be a test of how much weight the Robertson family has in Louisiana’s mostly rural 5th District. Dasher believes a lot of change needs to happen in Washington. He says:
“My basic platform begins with God. I want to go to D.C. to restore America to what she once was.”
Dasher claims that the Duck Dynasty family fully supports him. He’s currently on leave from his job as a sales rep at a pharmaceutical company. The Congressman hopeful says:
“Uncle Phil said he’s vetted me for 36 years.”
Time reports that this is Zach Dasher’s first run for public office . He’s pro-life and a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. Here are a few messages from his press release on Monday:
“It is time for ordinary citizens to get off of the sidelines and get involved in the political system. For too long, we’ve set idly by while Washington politicians slowly gain control over every aspect of our lives. I am seeking to represent the people of the 5th District in Congress so that I can effectively fight the big government intellectual elitists in Washington.”
He also says:
“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 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 is from Calhoun and his background is in the pharmaceutical industry. He’s been involved in the real estate business and has raised money for nonprofit organizations. Dasher is married with four children and they’re members of White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ. Phil Robertson is his mother’s brother.
According to a publicist, the Robertsons weren’t available for comment.
Vance McAllister is a first-term conservative Republican and it’s uncertain if he’ll run for re-election. It was believed not long ago he wasn’t going to run again, but he’s reportedly indecisive at this point. McCallister was involved in a sex scandal earlier this year involving a video of him kissing a married female staffer.
There will most likely be a reaction from the Duck Dynasty family on Zach Dasher’s run for congress soon.
[Image via LaPolitics.com ]