GOP Rep. Julia Letlow jumps into Louisiana Senate race after Trump backs her over Cassidy

Washington- Republican Rep. Julia Letlow is jumping into the Louisiana Senate race after President Trump encouraged her to challenge incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy in the state’s primary.

Mr. Trump encouraged Letlow to run for the seat in an article on Truth Social on Saturday, pledging to support her if she enters the race.

“Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate to ensure that the nation we leave for our children is safer and stronger,” Letlow said in a message on X Tuesday morning. “Louisiana deserves a conservative senator who will not waver. I am honored to have the support and trust of President Trump.”

The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report said earlier Tuesday that Letlow announced she was entering the race at a breakfast hosted by the publication in Louisiana.

Cassidy said Letlow also called him to share the news.

“Congresswoman Letlow called me this morning to tell me she was running,” Cassidy said in a statement to CBS News. “She said she respected me and that I had done a good job. I will continue to do a good job when I am re-elected. I am a conservative who wakes up every morning thinking about how to make Louisiana and the United States a better place to live.”

Letlow has represented Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District in the House since 2021, when she won a special election for the seat following the death of her husband, who died from complications related to COVID-19 before he could be sworn in. Letlow, 44, became the first Republican woman elected to represent Louisiana in Congress.

The president called Letlow a “TOTAL WINNER!” » and “Great Star” in his Truth Social article supporting his potential Senate run.

“A proud mother of two, Julia is a wonderful person, she has ALWAYS supported Louisiana and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Mr. Trump said. “If she decides to run this race, Julia Letlow has my complete and total support. RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!”

Mr. Trump’s decision to support Letlow comes as Cassidy, a Republican who has at times broken with his party, is seeking a third term in the Senate.

Cassidy, 68, was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Mr. Trump during his impeachment trial following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol in 2021. And more recently, the Louisiana Republican, who is a physician, has also been at odds with the administration over HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership.

Cassidy made the key vote to move Kennedy’s nomination out of committee and ensure his confirmation in February, despite doubts about Kennedy’s views on vaccines. But Cassidy has since broken up with the HHS secretary several times.

He sought to work with the administration on health care issues, such as the cost of insurance, introducing a measure to place funds in health savings accounts as the president pushed to send money directly to Americans rather than to insurance companies.

Letlow said in a video announcing his candidacy that “in a state as conservative as ours, we shouldn’t have to wonder how our senator will vote when the pressure is on.”

“Louisiana deserves conservative champions, leaders who will not flinch,” she added.

Letlow’s entry into the race and the president’s support are expected to create difficulties for GOP leaders in the Senate. Just days before the president’s announcement, Senate Majority Leader John Thune joined Cassidy on the campaign trail in Louisiana. And while the seat is considered safe for Republicans, the president’s decision could threaten key votes in the Senate in the future, as Cassidy may be less inclined to align.