Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) lost his reelection bid on Saturday night in Louisiana’s U.S. Senate primary race, and Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming advanced to the runoff.
Letlow received 164,145 votes, or 44.9 percent of the vote, while Fleming received 103,655 votes, or 28.3 percent of the vote, according to the Associated Press. Cassidy received 90,381 votes, or 24.7 percent of the vote.
Letlow and Fleming will advance to a runoff due to no candidate receiving “at least half of the vote,” the Hill reported.
Per the outlet, Cassidy’s defeat in the election comes as “Trump has targeted Cassidy for years” after the Louisiana senator, along with six other Republicans, voted to convict Trump after the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021:
Trump has targeted Cassidy for years over the vote, repeatedly attacking the Louisiana senator on the campaign trail and encouraging Letlow to challenge him earlier this year. Cassidy was one of seven GOP senators to vote to convict the president in his second impeachment trial, and one of only three who remain in office.
Letlow, who was endorsed by Trump, told Breitbart News Saturday in April that her “record speaks for itself.”
“For the last five years, I have recognized that I represent the people, and not the other way around,” Letlow explained. “This isn’t about me, it’s the people’s seat, and you have to stay in touch with the people that you represent and vote accordingly.”
Letlow also criticized Cassidy for having partnered with Democrats to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Breitbart News reported in April that a report from Punchbowl News revealed that Cassidy was “furious at the NRSC and Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s political machine because he feels they haven’t fully supported his reelection bid.” This came although “Thune raised more than $650,000 for Cassidy at a January event in Baton Rouge.”
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