Republican Senator Loses Primary After Impeachment Vote

An incumbent Republican senator who voted to convict on impeachment charges finished third in a Louisiana primary election held over the weekend. Two other candidates advanced to a June 27 runoff. The senator had maintained that a large campaign fund and record in Congress would protect the seat. The results showed those factors did not prevent a distant third-place finish.

The senator offered remarks after the vote, stating that the country is not about one individual and emphasizing loyalty to the Constitution and the welfare of the state. The senator also said insults only bother when they come from people of character and integrity.

A Louisiana GOP strategist unaffiliated with any campaign described the senator's political strategy as breathtakingly dense and said history will remember the senator as the smartest guy in the political morgue.

The outcome follows earlier primary results in Indiana where several state senators also lost after opposing certain redistricting measures. Additional primaries are scheduled in Georgia and Kentucky this week. Reports noted that the senator had spent five years treating the impeachment vote as old news before voters reached their own conclusion.