The Senate primary took place Saturday even as Louisiana delayed a spate of House races in the middle of early voting.
In a dramatic fall from political grace, Cassidy placed third in a primary for the seat he’s held since 2015, disqualifying him from a runoff that will be held on June 27.
Bill Cassidy’s political future hangs in the balance Rep. Julia Letlow , the Trump-backed candidate, placed first when the race was called shortly after 10:50 p.m., receiving 44.9% of the vote, while state Treasurer John Fleming placed second with 28.4%. Under Louisiana law, a runoff for the top two finishers occurs when none of the candidates win an outright majority. Cassidy attracted just 24.6% support, making him the first incumbent senator to lose a primary race in almost a decade.
– Fleming, a former deputy chief of staff during Trump’s first term, effectively divided the anti-Cassidy vote. But the president achieved his ultimate goal, ousting Cassidy over his perceived disloyalty.
“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! ” Trump said.
“I’d like to thank the Great People of the State of Louisiana, and this Big Victory will only make me work even harder for your success, and all that comes with it. ”“When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to,” Cassidy said.
“But you don’t pout, you don’t whine, you don’t claim the election was stolen, you don’t find a reason, you don’t manufacture some excuse. You thank the voters for the privilege of representing the state or the country for as long as you’ve had that privilege, and that’s what I’m doing right now. ” Letlow and Fleming will now compete for the GOP nomination, a prize that is expected to guarantee one of them their first Senate term.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race in Louisiana as, has leaned heavily into her Trump endorsement on the campaign trail. Fleming, a former congressman and founding member of the Freedom Caucus, has framed himself as the true conservative in the race. Both are seen as competitive heading into the runoff. For months, Cassidy tried to overcome his impeachment vote.
As a physician and chairman of the Senate’s health panel, Cassidy aligned himself with the White House on priorities such as healthcare reform and cast the deciding vote in favor of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. despite misgivings over his vaccine skepticism. The overtures were not enough, however, to win over Trump, who has embarked on a revenge tour to punish electorally those who have crossed him.
And since he lost the endorsement, Cassidy hasseveral of the Indiana Republicans who refused to redraw the state’s House map. The next test will come on Tuesday, when Rep. Thomas Massie tries to fend off a Trump-backed challenger in Kentucky’s House primaries. Massie has been an unreliable vote in the House and frustrated the White House with his focus on the Epstein files.
Cassidy has stared down a tough primary ever since Gov. Jeff Landry spearheaded an overhaul of how primaries are conducted in Louisiana, and Saturday was the first election testing the new system. Previously, Cassidy had benefitted from open jungle primaries that allowed Democrats to participate, but the change meant only Republican voters could now cast their ballot.in attempting to defeat Cassidy. The governor has since endorsed Letlow in the race and encouraged donors to back her.
Cassidy also faced headwinds from the Make America Healthy Again movement, which committed $1 million to backing Letlow through the Kennedy-aligned In terms of spending, Cassidy and his allies dwarfed the competition, airing the lion’s share of the $35 million that was poured into the race, and as recently as this week, Cassidy had predicted he would make the runoff. Still, polling ahead of the primarya spate of House races in the middle of early voting.
The decision by Landry came after a Supreme Court ruling on redistricting that is expected to pave the way for the state to redraw its House map.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Louisiana Senate primary heats up as Cassidy accuses Letlow of Pelosi-style stock trading, DEI supportSen. Cassidy accuses Rep. Letlow of a Nancy Pelosi approach to stock trades ahead of Louisiana's Saturday Republican primary election for Senate.
Read more »
Trump blasts 'disloyal' Sen. Cassidy while pushing challenger in Louisiana Republican primaryRepublican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is fighting for his political life in Saturday's primary against a challenger who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Read more »
Julia Letlow advances to Louisiana Senate GOP runoff, as Sen. Bill Cassidy trailsCassidy and state Treasurer John Fleming are battling for second place and a spot in the June 27 runoff.
Read more »
Trump scores major Republican primary victory as Cassidy ousted in LouisianaTrump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming top Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is defeated in bid for GOP Senate nomination
Read more »