Bill Cassidy loses Louisiana GOP Senate primary as Trump-backed Julia Letlow advances
The Facts
- Bill Cassidy finished third in Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary and was eliminated from contention for another Senate term.
- Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana state Treasurer John Fleming were the top two finishers and advanced to a June 27 runoff.
- Cassidy was one of the Republican senators who voted in 2021 to convict Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, and that vote remained a major issue in his primary campaign.
- Trump publicly attacked Cassidy during the campaign and celebrated his defeat after the primary results.
- Several outlets described Cassidy’s loss as another sign of Trump’s continued influence over Republican primary voters and party politics.
- The immediate unresolved question in the race is which of the two remaining Republicans—Letlow or Fleming—will win the June 27 runoff and become the party’s nominee for November.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Cassidy’s 2021 vote to convict Trump remained politically potent years later, and his defeat after Trump’s public attacks and celebration of the result reinforces that Trump still carries real weight in Republican primaries.
- They split on
- Less a disagreement than a question of emphasis: Trump’s grip on Republican party politics as the meaning of Cassidy’s loss, versus the immediate practical contest over whether Letlow or Fleming wins the runoff and November nomination.
Context
Why did Cassidy’s primary become so difficult?
Multiple reports say Cassidy’s 2021 vote to convict Trump in the second impeachment trial damaged his standing with many Republican voters, and Trump repeatedly criticized him during the campaign KTBS,Deutsche Welle,Telemundo.
What happens next in the Louisiana Senate race?
Because Cassidy finished third, he is out of the race. Letlow and Fleming will face each other in a June 27 runoff to decide who advances as the Republican candidate for the November general election KTBS,CNN Español,Axios.
Why is this race drawing national attention?
Outlets across the source pool say the result is being watched as a test of Trump’s influence inside the Republican Party, especially over incumbents or other GOP figures who have opposed him on major issues CNN Español,Deutsche Welle,Revista Proceso.
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Wire services (3)
Independent coverage (50)
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