MAY 16, 2026
Louisiana Republican Senate primary tests Trump's ability to unseat a GOP incumbent who voted to convict him
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, faced a competitive Saturday GOP primary against Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a June 27 runoff. Trump posted on social media Saturday morning calling Cassidy "a disloyal disaster" and urging Louisiana Republicans to vote him out, while praising Letlow as "a winner who will NEVER let you down."
Cassidy entered primary day as the underdog in his own party's contest. An Emerson College poll from late April, cited by Politico, put him at 21% support, behind Fleming at 28% and Letlow at 27%. Despite that deficit, Cassidy's campaign manager told Politico their data showed the incumbent in a strong position to qualify for a runoff, thanks in part to non-party voters participating in the closed primary system.
Cassidy and an allied super PAC spent more than $20 million on advertising through primary day, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact — more than Letlow and Fleming combined, Fox News reported. By comparison, Letlow's campaign spent roughly $3.9 million and a super PAC backing her spent about $6 million, while Fleming's campaign spent approximately $1.5 million, according to the AP. Much of Cassidy's spending targeted Letlow over her past support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives during her time as a college administrator; Letlow said she quickly witnessed DEI "hijacked" by the left and has opposed such programs throughout her five years in Congress.
Beyond the impeachment vote, Cassidy's friction with the MAGA coalition extended to health policy. As chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, he publicly questioned Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccines during the confirmation process — even though he ultimately voted to confirm Kennedy, as CNN and Fox News both reported. Trump subsequently blamed Cassidy for the failed nomination of surgeon general candidate Casey Means, and the Kennedy-aligned MAHA PAC pledged to spend $1 million opposing Cassidy and supporting Letlow, Politico reported.