Trump-Backed Candidates Advance in Louisiana Senate Primary as Cassidy Loses

Senator Bill Cassidy lost his bid for a third term in the Louisiana Republican primary on Saturday after finishing third behind Representative Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming. Letlow received 45 percent of the vote and Fleming received 28 percent, with 93 percent of the expected vote counted.

Neither reached a majority, so the two will compete in a runoff on June 27. Cassidy, who voted to convict President Trump during the 2021 impeachment trial, had faced sustained criticism from Trump supporters over that vote.

” Letlow embraced the endorsement during her victory speech, thanking “a very special man, ... He had campaigned aggressively for re-election and outspent his rivals. During the campaign, Cassidy defended his record by noting he has supported many of Trump’s policies since the impeachment vote.

He compared the situation to a marriage in which “your spouse [does] something that you didn’t really like” and said voters should focus on the present and future. Letlow has attacked Cassidy and Fleming as “never Trumpers” and said Louisiana voters should not have to wonder how their senator will vote under pressure.

Fleming has positioned himself as a Trump ally despite lacking the president’s endorsement. He loaned his campaign $10.6 million and launched his bid in December 2024.

The primary occurred after a U.S.

Supreme Court ruling that weakened part of the Voting Rights Act related to electoral district maps. Louisiana officials postponed primary elections for the U.S. House of Representatives to redraw district boundaries. Republicans are expected to hold the Senate seat in November.

Trump won Louisiana by 22 points in 2024. The Democratic primary is also heading to a runoff, with farmer Jamie Davis projected to advance.