'Duck Dynasty' Relative Running For Congress Because 'There Is No God' In Washington
Zach Dasher announced Monday he will campaign for the district currently represented by scandal-scarred Louisiana GOP Congressman Vance McAllister.
McAllister's chances of holding on to his congressional seat were diminished after a videotape emerged in April showing the married congressman kissing one of his staffers.
Dasher, also a Republican, told the Associated Press his campaign was motivated by Washington's lack of respect for God.
"I got to looking around at the problems in politics today, and what I see in Washington, D.C., is no God. There is no God. The elite political class thinks they can be running our lives," he said. "I think there's a vacuum in D.C. of people who understand where rights come from. Rights don't come from men. They come from God."
McAllister was elected in a 2013 special election upset that was significantly buoyed by the "Duck Dynasty" clan's staunch support.
"Duck Dynasty" became especially popular among conservatives after Robertson made controversial remarks about homosexuality in a magazine interview published in December. Robertson was a featured speaker at a Republican leadership meeting in May.
In Dasher's AP interview, the new candidate said he nevertheless fully expects his family to support his bid over McAllister.
"We sat down as a family this past week when we were deciding what we wanted to do. Being that closely connected, this is about them, too," he said. "We got our bellies full and then we sat around in a big circle and then we prayed. We prayed about this candidacy that this would be something real. And the family was really excited."
McAllister initially said he would not run for re-election after the scandal but his comments have since become more vague on the matter.
McAllister's campaign did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider.