Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) enters Saturday's GOP primary in a fight for his political survival, facing two Trump-backed challengers who argue the incumbent has drifted too far from the party's conservative base. Cassidy, seeking a third term, is under fire for his 2021 vote to convict former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial—a decision that has made him a prime target for MAGA voters in a state Trump carried overwhelmingly in 2024.
Trump has endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.), a first-term congresswoman who won a special election in 2021 after her husband, former Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, died from COVID-19 complications. Letlow's campaign has emphasized her alignment with Trump's agenda, while Cassidy has drawn the president's wrath. Trump labeled Cassidy a “disloyal disaster” on Truth Social, writing, “Bill Cassidy is a sleazebag, a terrible guy, who is BAD FOR LOUISIANA. Now he's going to get CLOBBERED.”
A third candidate, Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, is also in the race. Recent polling from Emerson College and KLFY News 10 shows a virtual dead heat: Letlow and Fleming each at 28 percent, Cassidy at 27 percent, and 22 percent undecided. With no candidate likely to hit 50 percent, the contest is expected to head to a June 27 runoff between the top two finishers.
Cassidy's impeachment vote remains a central issue. He wrote in a newspaper column at the time that Trump was “guilty” of inciting the January 6 riot and “clearly intended to prevent a peaceful transfer of power.” That stance, along with his public clashes with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine policy—despite Cassidy casting the deciding vote to advance Kennedy's nomination—has fueled criticism from Trump's base.
The primary is the latest test of Trump's grip on the GOP, following a recent Indiana state Senate primary where Trump-backed challengers ousted incumbents who opposed his redistricting push. Cassidy, however, has the support of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, led by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).
Louisiana's shift from a “jungle primary” to a closed-party system adds complexity. Only registered Republicans and Democrats vote in their respective primaries, with unaffiliated voters choosing one. Cassidy has criticized the change, calling it “set up to disenfranchise certain voters.” Letlow's campaign countered that Cassidy “privately encouraged” Democrats to cross over to “save him.”
Further complicating the ballot, Gov. Jeff Landry (R) suspended U.S. House primary elections after a Supreme Court ruling struck down Louisiana's second majority-Black congressional district as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Cassidy called the decision to proceed with the Senate race “disappointing,” writing on X, “Louisiana voters have an important choice to make about who will represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next six years. The governor's decision to move ahead with the Senate race during a confusing time is disappointing.”
Polls close at 8 p.m. CDT Saturday. Trump's blistering attacks have energized Letlow's campaign, while Cassidy's allies hope institutional support and a fractured opposition field can carry him through. The outcome will signal whether Trump's endorsement remains decisive in contested primaries, especially in a state where his influence runs deep.
