Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy loses in Republican primary : NPR
An observer of the ongoing Senate race in Louisiana noted that Sen. Bill Cassidy could lose his re-election bid.
Annie Flanagan for NPR
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Annie Flanagan for NPR
Sen. Bill Cassidy lost the Louisiana Republican primary on Saturday, according to a calling the race by The Associated Press.
Cassidy, who served two terms in the Senate, was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict President Trump following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. That vote put him at odds with Trump and his MAGA coalition, ultimately leading Trump to push Rep. Julia Letlow to run against Cassidy.
Cassidy’s bid for a third term was seen as a test of Trump’s hold on the party — and what voters expect from their representatives in Washington. The primary pitted Cassidy, a veteran lawmaker, former doctor and chairman of the powerful Senate Health Committee, against Letlow, a political newcomer and millennial MAGA stalwart.
A detailed view of a hat that says Run Julia Run is seen during a campaign event for Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) May 6, 2026 in Franklinton, Louisiana.
Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images
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Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images
A former college administrator, Letlow won a special election in 2021 for the House seat that her late husband, Luke, was set to fill before he died of COVID in 2020.
In Congress, Letlow sponsored a bill to collect oral histories on the pandemic and focused on education and children. She introduced the “Parents Bill of Rights Act,” which would allow parents to review school materials such as library books and require schools to notify parents if their child requests different pronouns, locker rooms or sports teams.
She also serves on the powerful Appropriations Committee and has embraced Trump’s agenda.
Letlow, who came in first in Saturday’s primary, will face Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming in a June 27 runoff. Cassidy came third.
The election result is a victory for President Trump who has put Republican loyalty to the test on the ballot so far this year in the Indiana state Senate primary and in Cassidy’s race.
Another major test of Trump’s influence will come Tuesday in the Kentucky primary, when Republican Thomas Massie, who has found himself at odds with the president, faces a Trump-backed challenger.
