Republican Bill Cassidy is the second U.S. Senator in Louisiana’s history not to be re-elected in the last 94 years. Cassidy finished third in the Senate Republican Primary, while Congresswoman Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming advance to a June 27th run-off. Cassidy told supporters on Saturday it was a privilege to represent Louisiana.
“I’ve had the privilege of representing the State of Louisiana for 12 years. I have been able to participate in democracy. And when you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to. But you don’t pout, you don’t whine; you don’t claim that the election was stolen,” Cassidy said.
Letlow, who had the support of President Trump, won the Senate Republican Primary with 45% of the vote. The Congresswoman says the President’s support helped her withstand $26 million in negative advertisement against her.
“That’s another testament to the President’s endorsement, how powerful it is in Louisiana; that we were still able to garner 45% of the vote, despite the negativity,” Letlow said.
resident Trump said in a post on Truth Social that it is nice to see that Cassidy’s political career is over.
In his concession speech, Cassidy did not mention Trump’s name, but said the country is not about one individual. Louisiana’s outgoing U.S. Senator added he was loyal to the welfare of U.S. and Louisiana citizens and the Constitution.
“And if someone doesn’t understand that, and attempts to control others through using the levers of power, they’re about serving themselves, not about serving us (applause). And that person is not qualified to be a leader,” Cassidy said.
Letlow was asked about the impact of Cassidy’s vote to convict Trump in 2021 and how that impacted the results of Saturday’s primary.
“Well, I think that, again, Louisiana was not pleased with that vote; they took that as a sign that he had turned his back on the Louisiana voters. So I think it played a very big part in tonight’s result,” Letlow said.
The two other Louisiana U.S. Senators to lose their re-election since 1932, Mary Landrieu in 2014 and Edwin Broussard in 1932, who like Cassidy, lost in a closed primary.
It will be Letlow and Fleming in the June 27 primary runoff. Fleming did several interviews with media outlets across the state and is already on the attack.
“She supported DEI initiatives: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She has, of course, problems with insider trading. That’s being investigated by Congress itself,” Fleming noted.
Fleming doesn’t have the endorsement of President Trump, but he did serve in his first administration. And the State Treasurer’s campaign has been mostly self-funded.
“I am the only candidate that’s not controlled by special interest in Washington. I don’t owe anybody anything, and I can’t be bossed any powerful politician,” Fleming said.