Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana state Treasurer John Fleming advanced to a runoff in the Republican Senate primary, CBS News projects, eliminating incumbent GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy from the race.
Cassidy, 68, who sought a third term, faced backlash within his party for voting to convict former President Donald Trump during the 2021 impeachment trial linked to the January 6 Capitol attack. Despite emphasizing cooperation with the Trump administration in recent years, Cassidy lost the president’s endorsement to Letlow, who Trump endorsed in January.
Following the primary, Trump praised Letlow on Truth Social, saying she ran “a fantastic race” and defeated an incumbent senator by record numbers. He described her as “a fantastic person” who would become a “brilliant Senator” for Louisiana, a state he credited for prospering under his energy policies. Trump also criticized Cassidy for falsely leveraging his past relationship with the former president and for voting to impeach him on what Trump described as “preposterous charges.”
Letlow, 45, became the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Louisiana in 2021 by winning a special election to represent the state’s 5th Congressional District after the death of her husband, who died from COVID-19 complications prior to being sworn in. She campaigned strong on loyalty to the GOP, accusing Cassidy of disloyalty and saying Louisiana voters “shouldn’t have to wonder how our senator will vote when the pressure’s on.”
Fleming, who served in the Trump administration and represented Louisiana in the U.S. House, positioned himself as “the only conservative MAGA Republican” in the race. Like Letlow, he criticized Cassidy’s record, especially over disagreements related to Department of Health and Human Services policies under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Cassidy supported for confirmation despite policy disputes.
Cassidy pushed back by questioning Letlow’s conservatism citing her past support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in education — an accusation Fleming also made against Letlow.
On the Democratic side, Jamie Davis won the party’s Senate nomination, projected by CBS News, defeating Nick Albares and Gary Crockett. However, Louisiana remains a strongly Republican state, where Trump secured 60% of the vote in 2024 and Democrats have not won a Senate seat since 2008, making the GOP nominee favored in the November general election.
Why it matters
Letlow’s and Fleming’s advance to the runoff reflects former President Trump’s continuing influence over Republican primaries, notably in Louisiana. Cassidy’s defeat underscores internal party divisions over loyalty to Trump, impeachment votes, and conservative credentials. The runoff will determine who likely takes this historically Republican Senate seat in the general election.
Background
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor, has been a contentious figure within Louisiana’s GOP due to his impeachment vote and disagreements with Trump-era policies. Letlow’s 2021 special election win marked a historic first for Republican women in Louisiana Congress. The state’s GOP primary contests have gained national attention as indicators of Trump’s sway over Republican voters and incumbents.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source:
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