Trump-Endorsed Candidates Run in Louisiana Senate Primary Against Cassidy

Sen. Bill Cassidy is in a difficult fight for renomination as two Trump-endorsed candidates challenge him in Louisiana's Republican primary on Saturday. Recent polling projects Cassidy finishing third behind the challengers, which would leave him off the June runoff ballot.

No candidate is currently expected to reach 50 percent of the vote. Trump has moved to push Cassidy out of office. Being one of six Republican senators who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 placed Cassidy on bad terms with the president. His reluctance to give full-throated support to Trump's top health officials has worsened those relations.

Political observers note the race reflects Trump's influence. “Trump’s definitely on the ballot. There’s no doubt about it. And it’s having an effect on every candidate,” a political science professor at the University of Louisiana said. The professor added that the effect appears negative for Cassidy and positive for one challenger while unclear for the other.

This marks the first Senate race for Cassidy since Louisiana switched from a more open primary system to a closed-party primary. Under the new rules, voters registered with a party can only vote for that party's candidates. Nearly 30 percent of registered voters in the state have “no party” affiliation and must choose a party to participate.

The change could hurt Cassidy because he will be unable to rely on Democrats crossing over to support him. By contrast, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, another Republican who voted to impeach Trump, defeated a Trump-endorsed challenger in 2022 under that state's different primary system.

Louisiana's rules now differ from Alaska's open primaries. The challengers include a U.S. representative and the state treasurer. Both have received Trump's endorsement. If the polling holds, the top two finishers would advance to a runoff in June.

Cassidy chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. His relationship with the White House has been further strained by his stance toward health policy appointments. The Trump administration has faced multiple legal challenges over its health-related actions this week.

A veterans advocacy group sued the administration over its ban on abortion care and counseling at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The group filed the lawsuit on behalf of members harmed by the policy, including one pregnant veteran with chronic conditions and a history of pregnancy complications who requires access to such care.

Separately, a federal judge blocked the administration's demands for confidential patient records from Rhode Island's largest hospital that provides gender-affirming care to minors. The ruling represents a setback for the government's efforts to obtain transgender patient information from the facility.

A major hospital clarified that the health secretary did not operate a robotic arm during a heart surgery observation. The facility stated he was merely an observer who briefly viewed a disconnected teaching console as part of a broader tour. The clinic will focus on providing medical care to patients who previously received gender-affirming treatment and seek to reverse its effects.

Overdose deaths in Oregon declined for the second consecutive year while Connecticut officials warned of a hepatitis A outbreak linked to shellfish. Florida remains the only state removing children from low-cost health insurance programs.

“Trump’s definitely on the ballot. There’s no doubt about it. And it’s having an effect on every candidate.”

The primary outcome Saturday will determine whether Cassidy advances.