Trump crushes one of his Senate critics: Bill Cassidy falls behind in Louisiana Republican primary
Rep. Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming advance to the runoff election, while Cassidy finished in third place. Letlow has the backing of President Trump.
Bill Cassidy in the Senate/ Saul Loeb.
Bill Cassidy was defeated in the Republican primary for the Senate in Louisiana. The senator finished in third place, behind Rep. Julia Letlow, the candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, and State Treasurer John Fleming. Trump had repeatedly criticized Cassidy and backed Letlow in an effort to defeat him
Under Louisiana's election system, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates advance to a runoff election. With more than 80% of ballots counted, Letlow led the field with 44%, followed by Fleming with 28%. The two will face off in a head-to-head runoff on June 27. Cassidy finished third with 24%.
As a result, Cassidy will remain in office until January 2027, when the winner of the November election will replace him. The Republican senator was first elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020. He is one of the few physicians serving in the Senate and currently chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
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Letlow was married to Luke Letlow, who won a seat in the House of Representatives in 2020 but died before taking office. She later ran in the 2021 special election and won the seat that would have been her late husband's. She won comfortably and has since become a close Trump ally in the House.
The congresswoman got the president's endorsement in January, even before making her candidacy official. "I know Julia well, have seen her tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and she is a TOTAL WINNER! A Proud Mother of two children, Julia is a wonderful person," Trump tweeted at the time.
As for Fleming, he served in the House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017. He later held several positions during the first Trump administration, including Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. In 2024, he was elected Louisiana state treasurer, the same office previously held by the state’s other senator, John Kennedy, before coming to Washington, D.C. Fleming has positioned himself as the most conservative candidate in the race.
On the Democratic side, the Senate nominee will also be decided in a runoff between Jamie Davis and Gary Crockett.
The rivalry between Trump and Senator Cassidy
While tensions between the two had appeared to cool after Cassidy voted to confirm Robert Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services, the senator again criticized the White House for the changes in childhood vaccination recommendations.
Tensions escalated again in January 2026, when Trump officially endorsed Letlow to challenge Cassidy in the Republican primary.
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