The Associated Press projected that two Republican challengers, Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, will advance to a June 27 runoff in the state’s high-profile GOP Senate primary, denying incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy renomination. The projection came Saturday as nearly all estimated votes were counted.
Letlow led the field with roughly 45 percent of the vote, Fleming trailed with about 28 percent and Cassidy finished near 25 percent, according to AP figures. Cassidy’s loss is notable: he is the first sitting U.S. senator to lose a primary since 2017 and the first incumbent elected senator to be defeated in a primary since 2012.
Former President Donald Trump played a decisive role in the contest after endorsing Letlow in January and publicly encouraging her to run in an effort to unseat Cassidy. Trump celebrated the projected result on his social media platform and praised Letlow. At a Saturday night event in Baton Rouge, Letlow thanked Trump and framed the vote as a choice for a senator who will put America and Louisiana first.
Fleming, the state treasurer and a former congressman who worked in the early Trump administration, presented himself as the staunch conservative in the race but did not receive a public Trump endorsement. Letlow, a three-term member of the House, leaned into Trump’s backing and attacked Cassidy as disloyal while also contrasting Fleming as not sufficiently aligned with the former president.
Cassidy, a physician first elected to the Senate in 2014, had sought to demonstrate conservative credentials and tie himself to parts of Trump’s agenda even as he faced lingering GOP anger over his 2021 vote to convict Trump in the impeachment trial that followed the Jan. 6 attack. That vote, and activists’ reaction to it, was widely seen as a driving factor in the challenge to his seat.
Acknowledging the outcome to supporters, Cassidy said the race had not gone his way and urged dignity in defeat, noting that one should thank voters for the opportunity to serve rather than make excuses. Letlow and Fleming will now face each other in the runoff to determine the Republican nominee.
Political analysts said the result illustrates the influence of Trump’s endorsements within parts of the Republican electorate and serves as a warning to other Republicans perceived as disloyal to the former president. Robert Hogan, a political science professor at Louisiana State University, told ABC News before the primary that some voters still reacted strongly to Cassidy’s conviction vote and that Republican activists had been unforgiving.
On the trail, Letlow emphasized parental rights and border security, while Fleming sought to cast himself as the most reliably conservative option. Cassidy emphasized his record of delivering for Louisiana and underscored positions such as opposing abortion and supporting strong border measures.
This is a developing story; further updates may follow as the runoff approaches and campaigns pivot to the next phase of the contest.