‘Duck Dynasty’ patriarch rules out Senate run

Louisiana conservatives will have to look somewhere other than the state’s marshes for a suitable candidate for Senate.

That’s because Phil Robertson, the 67-year-old patriarch of the duck hunting family featured on the popular A&E show “Duck Dynasty,” has ruled out a run.

{mosads}A Democratic poll of the race out Tuesday raised eyebrows and prompted some interest in Robertson, when it showed he was the only Republican tested leading Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) in the race.

But his son, Al Robertson, told The Hill in an email that the elder Robertson will focus his attention on religious, rather than political, pursuits.

“While Phil is humbled and honored that so many fellow Louisianans have confidence in him, he has no interest in running for public office,” he said.

“He is interested in helping the electorate know more about the gospel of Christ, so they, in turn, can elect more godly men and women to serve and lead our great country.”

In that poll, Landrieu’s likeliest opponent, Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), lagged her by just 1 percentage point. But Robertson held a 4-point lead over Landrieu, taking 46 percent to her 41 percent support in a head-to-head matchup.

Conservatives have criticized Cassidy, the establishment pick in the race, and he’s vying with two other candidates for Republican votes. Some Louisiana political observers say there’s still no clear conservative pick in the race — and Robertson, if he were to have run, would have been the antidote to that discontent.

Robertson rose to national prominence after controversial comments he made to a GQ reporter about homosexuality — he suggested it wasn’t “logical,” that it was a sin and compared it to bestiality — caused considerable backlash against the show and the station.

A&E temporarily suspended Robertson, but that quickly ended after hundreds of thousands of fans nationwide came to his support.

Now it seems Louisiana fans will only get to watch him on television, as the duck’s quack appears louder than the call of public service for Robertson.