IT'S A CHRISTIAN PARTY, NOT A TEA PARTY:

 Rookie Vance McAllister says he's never visited Washington, D.C., but now he has a job in the nation's capital.

McAllister upset state Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia, by winning the all-GOP runoff for the 5th Congressional District seat in much of northern and central Louisiana. [...]

Having never visited Washington, McAllister said late Saturday he is excited about his first trip.

"I'm looking so forward to it," he said. "A lot of great leaders and great patriots have walked through there."

He said it is time to "quell the politics as usual stuff."

He credited running a positive campaign and connecting with the voters for his big win. He also invested more than $800,000 of his own money. "It was enough," he said with a laugh about the amount he spent. [...]

Running as a Christian conservative and a political outsider, McAllister rode the endorsements of "Duck Dynasty" stars Phil and Willie Robertson to surge out of obscurity and into a seat in Congress.

University of Louisiana at Monroe political scientist Joshua Stockley said McAllister once again surprised everyone with his strong showing.

"He proved every single pundit wrong," Stockley said. "Not only did he win, he obliterated the frontrunner."

McAllister has a "great recipe for victory" that included his personal wealth to self-fund most of his campaign, the backlash against the political establishment, the support of "Duck Dynasty" stars and the quirks of Louisiana's open primary election.

McAllister's "more pragmatic approach" resonated with voters and won him more Democrats and moderates, Stockley said.

Rod Dreher, a commentator in The American Conservative, wrote that Duck Dynasty's Robertson family was McAllister's secret weapon. "The Tea Party is nothing compared to the Duck Commander dudes."

Follow @brothersjudd