WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Cassidy was denied a bid for a third term by Louisiana Republican primary voters on Saturday. Cassidy was projected to finish third, trailing behind Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) and state Treasurer John Fleming.
With 92 percent of the votes counted, Letlow was leading with 44.8 percent, followed by Fleming with 28.4 percent. The Associated Press projected them as the winners, with Cassidy lagging at 24.7 percent.
Letlow and Fleming will proceed to a runoff on June 27. Letlow is favored to win, bolstered by an endorsement from President Trump, which he reiterated on Truth Social after returning from a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Following the election results, Trump expressed his satisfaction on social media.
“Bill Cassidy . . . voted to impeach me on preposterous charges that were fake then, and now, are criminally insane!” he wrote on Truth Social. “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!”
Cassidy, 68, was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump on incitement charges related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. With Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) also facing a challenging re-election, the number of such senators could dwindle to one — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — when the 120th Congress begins on January 3, 2027.
In addition to the impeachment vote, Cassidy had urged Trump to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race following Trump’s indictment on charges of improperly retaining national security documents at Mar-a-Lago. Cassidy also claimed that the administration was not sufficiently pro-life.
Trump pre-emptively endorsed Letlow in January, prior to her announcing her candidacy, forcing Cassidy into a competitive renomination battle.
Shortly before the election results, Trump again criticized Cassidy, calling him “disloyal” on social media.
“Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is a disloyal disaster. His entire past campaign for the Senate was about ‘TRUMP,’ how he’s with me all the way, and then, after winning, he turned around and voted to IMPEACH me for something that has now proven to be total ‘bulls—!’” Trump posted on Truth Social during the voting.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), the most influential politician from Louisiana in Washington, admitted that the three-way contest put him in an “awkward situation.” He noted Letlow was “like a sister to me” and mentioned that Fleming previously represented Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District.
Cassidy had spent months attempting to reconcile with Trump, even voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary despite previous disagreements over vaccines.
Meanwhile, Cassidy and Fleming criticized Letlow for her previous role at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, where she was a leading advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, describing herself as a “strong and progressive leader.”
Cassidy’s loss is part of a successful month for Trump-endorsed candidates, following the defeat of five Indiana Republican lawmakers who opposed him on redistricting in their primaries.
The next challenge to Trump’s influence within the GOP will occur on Tuesday, when Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a libertarian, faces off against farmer and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who has Trump’s backing.
