LA Senator Bill Cassidy Ousted Over Trump Opposition
Trump celebrated Cassidy’s defeat after the race was called, linking the result to Cassidy’s 2021 vote to convict him in his second impeachment trial.
Sen. Bill Cassidy was denied a chance at a third term Saturday after Louisiana Republican primary voters placed him third behind Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming.
With 92% of the vote counted, Letlow led with 44.8%, followed by Fleming with 28.4%. Cassidy trailed with 24.7%. The Associated Press projected Letlow and Fleming would advance to a June 27 runoff.
Letlow enters the runoff as the favorite after receiving President Donald Trump’s endorsement, which he reiterated Friday on Truth Social while returning to Washington from a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump celebrated Cassidy’s defeat after the race was called, linking the result to Cassidy’s 2021 vote to convict him in his second impeachment trial.
“Bill Cassidy voted to impeach me on preposterous charges that were fake then, and now, are criminally insane,” Trump wrote. “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 was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. With Sen. Susan Collins facing a difficult reelection fight in Maine, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska could soon be the only remaining Republican senator from that group when the next Congress is seated in January 2027.
Cassidy had also urged Trump to leave the 2024 presidential race after his indictment over classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and had criticized the administration for not being sufficiently pro-life.
Trump endorsed Letlow in January, before she officially entered the race, giving her early momentum and making Cassidy’s primary path significantly harder.
On Saturday, while voting was still underway, Trump called Cassidy a “disloyal disaster” and again attacked him over the impeachment vote.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, also from Louisiana, said earlier in the week that the primary placed him in an “awkward situation.” He described Letlow as “like a sister” and noted that Fleming had preceded him in representing Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District.
Cassidy had tried in recent months to repair his relationship with Trump, including by voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary despite public disagreements over vaccines.
During the campaign, Cassidy and Fleming also criticized Letlow over her past role at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, where she described herself as a “strong and progressive leader” and supported diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Cassidy’s loss continues a strong run for Trump-backed candidates after five Indiana Republican lawmakers who opposed his redistricting push lost their primaries. The next test of Trump’s influence comes Tuesday in Kentucky, where Rep. Thomas Massie faces Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein.