Trump-Backed Challenger Ousts Incumbent Senator in Louisiana Primary
A Trump-backed challenger has defeated a two-term Republican senator who voted to convict the president during his 2021 impeachment trial.
Congresswoman Julia Letlow will advance to a runoff next month, ousting incumbent Bill Cassidy, whom former President Donald Trump labeled a "disloyal disaster" ahead of Louisiana's critical contest on Saturday.
State Treasurer John Fleming, another candidate aligned with Trump, also advanced to the Republican runoff for Louisiana's Senate seat.
The top two candidates, Letlow and Fleming, will face each other again in late June as neither secured a simple majority. The winner of the runoff will then compete against a Democratic candidate in the general election.
Background on Cassidy's Impeachment Vote and Political Standing
Bill Cassidy, 68, was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump following the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack. The Senate ultimately acquitted Trump with a 57-43 vote, falling short of the two-thirds majority required.
Of the seven Republicans who voted to convict, only three remain in the Senate: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who survived a primary challenge in 2022; Susan Collins of Maine; and Bill Cassidy.
During his re-election campaign, Cassidy sought to mend his strained relationship with Trump.
"I don't really think President Trump likes me that much, but we work really well together," Cassidy told reporters last week, citing several bills he sponsored that were later signed into law by the president.
Despite Cassidy's efforts, Trump made clear his desire to see Cassidy defeated and in January encouraged Letlow, 45, to challenge the senator.
"I want to say thank you to a very special man - the best president this country has ever had, President Donald Trump," Letlow said in a speech after the late evening results.
Cassidy's Election Night Remarks and Trump’s Reaction
In his election night remarks, Cassidy did not mention Trump by name but alluded to the former president and his unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
"When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn't turn out the way you want it to," Cassidy told supporters in Baton Rouge. "But you don't pout. You don't whine. You don't claim that an election was stolen from you."
He emphasized that American leaders should prioritize the public's wellbeing over loyalty to any individual.
"And if someone doesn't understand that and attempts to control others through using the levers of power, they're about serving themselves," he said. "They're not about serving us. And that person is not qualified to be a leader."
Trump celebrated the results on his social media platform Truth Social, writing,
"it's nice to see that his political career is OVER!"
He added in another post,
"That's what you get by voting to Impeach an innocent man."
With the race now moving to a runoff, it remains uncertain whether Trump will maintain active involvement.
Details on the Runoff Candidates and Primary Results
Letlow, who became the first Republican woman elected to represent Louisiana in Congress in 2021, secured 45% of the vote in the primary, according to US media reports.
Fleming, her opponent in the June runoff, previously served as a representative for Louisiana in Congress and worked in the first Trump administration.
Fleming narrowly surpassed Cassidy with approximately 28% of the vote, compared to Cassidy's 25%, according to US media.
"Yesterday, the people of Louisiana proved that a grassroots conservative can still compete, and win, even when the political establishment and outside dark money groups spend millions of dollars trying to destroy him," Fleming said in a statement on Sunday.
