Trump-Backed Julia Letlow Advances to Runoff as Sen. Bill Cassidy Ousted in Louisiana Primary
Why It Matters
Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary delivered a decisive verdict on the political cost of crossing President Donald Trump — ending the renomination bid of two-term incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy and setting up a June runoff that will determine who represents the solidly red state in Washington. The result underscores Trump’s sustained grip over Republican primary voters heading into the 2026 midterm cycle.
What Happened
In Saturday’s GOP primary, Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming finished ahead of Cassidy, eliminating the incumbent from contention. With the bulk of votes counted late in the evening, Letlow led with approximately 45% of the vote, Fleming trailed at roughly 28%, and Cassidy finished just under 25%.
Because no candidate cleared the 50% threshold required for an outright win, Letlow and Fleming will advance to a runoff next month to decide the Republican nomination. Cassidy becomes the first sitting Republican senator to lose a renomination bid since Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana was defeated in 2012.
Trump had publicly endorsed Letlow before she formally entered the race in January and spent primary eve on social media attacking Cassidy, calling him “a disloyal disaster” and predicting his political career was finished. After the results came in, Trump posted that “his political career is OVER!”
Letlow, addressing supporters at her election night event in Baton Rouge, credited the president’s backing as central to her campaign. “Not only did he encourage me to get into this race, but also to have his complete and total endorsement has been, wow, the honor of a lifetime,” she said in remarks reported before the vote. She also carried the endorsement of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a close Trump ally.
Cassidy, in a concession speech, thanked supporters and drew an implicit contrast with Trump’s post-election conduct. “When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to,” he said. “You don’t pout, you don’t whine. You don’t claim the election was stolen.”
By the Numbers
- 45% — Letlow’s approximate share of the primary vote
- ~28% — Fleming’s vote share
- ~25% — Cassidy’s final tally, short of the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff
- 22 points — Trump’s 2024 margin of victory in Louisiana, reflecting the state’s deep-red lean
- ~15% — Share of Louisiana’s workforce tied to the oil and gas industry, a sector Cassidy frequently cited in his Senate record
The Cassidy Factor
Cassidy’s political vulnerability stemmed largely from his 2021 vote to convict Trump following the Senate impeachment trial triggered by the January 6 Capitol riot. He was one of just seven Republican senators to vote for conviction. Trump was ultimately acquitted.
In the years since, Cassidy largely aligned with Trump’s second-term agenda, including voting to confirm Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But that support wasn’t enough to neutralize blowback from Kennedy’s own orbit. Cassidy, a physician, had been publicly skeptical of Kennedy’s health reform agenda, including proposed changes to federal vaccine recommendations. Kennedy allies also blamed Cassidy for stalling the surgeon general nomination of a prominent MAHA movement figure by declining to bring it to a committee vote.
Cassidy spent the final stretch of his campaign emphasizing his record on Louisiana-specific priorities, including infrastructure and support for the state’s energy sector, but the appeal fell short with a primary electorate that remained focused on his 2021 impeachment vote.
Zoom Out
The Louisiana result is the latest in a pattern of Trump-aligned challengers dispatching Republicans who broke with the president. Just over a week earlier, Trump-backed candidates in Indiana ousted five sitting Republican state senators who had blocked a congressional redistricting effort backed by the White House. Roughly 42,000 Louisiana voters cast absentee ballots ahead of Saturday’s primary, according to earlier reporting on the state’s election activity.
With competitive Senate primaries drawing national attention across multiple states this cycle, the Louisiana race adds to the evidence that Trump’s endorsement carries significant weight in Republican-leaning electorates — and that his political memory extends beyond a single election cycle.
What’s Next
Letlow and Fleming will face each other in a Republican runoff scheduled for next month. The winner will become the heavy favorite in the general election in a state Trump carried comfortably. Separate runoffs are also needed to finalize candidate fields for two Public Service Commission races on the Louisiana ballot this cycle. Cassidy’s Senate seat will be filled through the November general election.