Senator Bill Cassidy loses Louisiana primary after Trump conviction vote
Cassidy placed third with 24.7% in deep-red Louisiana, ending his Senate career.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy paid the ultimate political price for his 2021 vote to convict Donald Trump on charges of inciting an insurrection. In Louisiana’s three-way Republican primary on Saturday, Cassidy placed last with just 24.7% of the vote, trailing Representative Julia Letlow (44.8%) and State Treasurer John Fleming (28.3%). Letlow, endorsed by both Trump and a PAC linked to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will face Fleming in a runoff next month. The winner is heavily favored to win in November in the deep-red state.
Cassidy’s defeat underscores Trump’s enduring grip on the GOP despite an unpopular war and soaring fuel prices. In his 2020 re-election, Cassidy won 59% of the vote—just months before his impeachment conviction vote. Trump celebrated on social media: “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!” The primary is part of a broader Trump campaign to oust Republican opponents, with Representative Thomas Massie in Kentucky next on the list. However, Trump has stayed out of a contentious Texas runoff between incumbent Senator John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
- Cassidy was one of only seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump for the January 6 insurrection in 2021.
- He placed third with 24.7% of the vote, behind Trump-backed Julia Letlow (44.8%) and John Fleming (28.3%).
- Letlow and Fleming advance to a runoff; the winner is virtually guaranteed victory in November in the deep-red state.
Why It Matters
Cassidy's loss signals Trump's continued dominance over the GOP and the political cost of crossing him.