Cassidy ousted in Louisiana primary as Trump’s influence over GOP solidifies
Bill Cassidy’s defeat at the hands of Julia Letlow and John Fleming marks another victory for Donald Trump’s faction within the Republican Party, highlighting the political cost of dissent.
US Senator Bill Cassidy has been eliminated from the Louisiana Republican primary for the US Senate, finishing third behind Representative Julia Letlow and State Treasurer John Fleming. Cassidy failed to secure enough votes to advance to a run-off, a result that underscores President Donald Trump’s enduring grip on the party’s primary electorate and his willingness to target politicians perceived as disloyal.
The defeat is widely attributed to Cassidy’s status as one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict President Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial following the January 6 Capitol attack. Despite campaigning aggressively for a third six-year term and heavily outspending his rivals, Cassidy could not overcome years of criticism from Trump supporters regarding his vote to convict the president.
On the morning of the election, President Trump attacked Cassidy on social media, describing him as “a disloyal disaster” and “a terrible guy”. In his defeat speech, Cassidy appeared to respond indirectly to these remarks, stating that insults only bother him if they come from someone of character and integrity. He emphasised that the country is about the constitution and the welfare of all Americans, rather than one individual.
Letlow, who will face Fleming in a second-round vote on June 27, embraced Trump’s backing in her victory speech. She thanked the president, calling him “the best president this country has ever had,” and cited Cassidy’s impeachment vote as evidence that he had “turned his back on Louisiana voters”. President Trump celebrated the result online, writing: “That’s what you get by voting to impeach an innocent man.”
The Louisiana race is the latest in a series of contests where Trump has backed efforts to remove Republicans who opposed him. Earlier this month, several Indiana state senators were defeated after rejecting Trump’s redistricting plan. The primary also occurred amid confusion following a recent US Supreme Court ruling that weakened part of the Voting Rights Act related to electoral district maps, leading Louisiana officials to postpone House primaries while the Senate race proceeded as planned.
