Support from the bearded men of the popular reality TV show combined with a deep pool of personal wealth has helped vault Republican political newcomer Vance McAllister into Congress.
He'll represent Louisiana's 5th District.
McAllister crushed GOP state Sen. Neil Riser in a special runoff Saturday, winning the race by 20 percentage points.
A political unknown only three months ago, McAllister managed to distinguish himself among a pack of 14 candidates to get into the runoff — with little outside help, no prior name recognition and no heavyweight fundraising.
His entire candidacy caught political insiders by surprise.
McAllister ran as a political outsider, capitalizing on voter frustration with politicians and Congress. The backing of the "Duck Dynasty" family drew initial attention to his campaign.