Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy Loses Primary After Trump Endorsement

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Monday evening he has no regrets about his 2021 vote to convict President Trump on impeachment charges, even after losing his primary election Saturday. “I voted to uphold the Constitution. ” Cassidy told reporters in the Capitol.

” Cassidy lost his seat in Louisiana’s Republican primary after Trump endorsed one of his opponents. He had spent years trying to convince voters he remained supportive of the president despite the impeachment vote following the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Letlow and state treasurer John Fleming advanced to a June 27 runoff for the Republican nomination. ” Fleming accused Letlow’s campaign chair of offering him a position at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in exchange for dropping out of the race.

The campaign chair denied the accusation. On the Democratic side, farmer Jamie Davis Jr. advanced to the runoff and will face either nonprofit executive Nick Albares or retired Navy veteran Gary Crockett.

Louisiana colleague, Republican Sen.

John Kennedy, said the loss was predictable. “Bill’s loss was predictable, and Bill knew it,” Kennedy said, adding he respected Cassidy’s decision to run. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she regretted that Cassidy would not return to the Senate. “His defeat certainly has implications for us here,” she said.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said on NBC’s Meet the Press that those who try to destroy Trump politically are going to lose. Trump posted on social media that it was nice to see Cassidy’s political career was over.

Cassidy criticized a new nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who believe they were unjustly investigated. He said Congress should have a say and that the fund lacked legal precedent. Cassidy said he was undecided on how he would vote on the next Democratic measure to halt the Iran war.