Letlow Secures Nomination
Rep. Julia Letlow, backed by Trump, wins Louisiana GOP Senate primary.
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U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow won Louisiana's Republican Senate runoff on June 27, defeating state Treasurer John Fleming and securing the GOP nomination to replace Sen. Bill Cassidy. The Associated Press called the race at 9:30 PM CDT, according to Yahoo News.
The victory, powered by a Trump endorsement, ends Cassidy's Senate career after his 2021 vote to convict Trump made him a political outcast in Louisiana. Letlow is now heavily favored to win the general election in November against Democrat Jamie Davis, according to Ballotpedia.
Cassidy's Impeachment Vote Set This Race in Motion
The race traces back to February 13, 2021, when Cassidy became one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot. Within days, the Louisiana GOP unanimously censured him, calling him an "object of shame." Trump never forgave him, according to Axios.
In the May 16 primary, voters delivered a swift verdict. Letlow took 44.8% of the vote. Fleming got 28.3%. Cassidy finished third with just 24.8%, becoming the first Louisiana incumbent senator eliminated in a primary since 2010, according to Ballotpedia.
Trump's Endorsement Was the Decisive Edge for Letlow
Trump backed Letlow early in 2025, and his support proved decisive. Letlow leaned into the relationship, saying, "Louisiana deserves a conservative Senator who will not waver. I am honored to have President Trump's endorsement and trust." Fleming also claimed a strong conservative record, pointing to his time in the Freedom Caucus and his role as Trump's deputy chief of staff in his first term.
Still, Trump's label of "disloyal" effectively ended Cassidy's career and lifted Letlow above her rivals. A June 24 poll by Quantus Insights showed Letlow leading 51.5% to 48.5% among decided voters — a margin within the poll's error range but one that held on election night.
A New Primary System Changed Who Got to Vote
This was Louisiana's first Senate race under a new closed-party primary system, replacing the old "jungle primary" where all candidates ran on one ballot. The Louisiana Legislature passed the change in January 2024. Critics said the new rules gave party leaders more power over who makes it to the general election, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.
Letlow's win was strongest in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Monroe media markets. Fleming performed better in Alexandria and Lake Charles. The total race spending reached roughly $64.67 million, according to Quiver Quantitative, making it one of the most expensive Senate primaries in Louisiana history.
Letlow Poised to Make Louisiana Senate History in November
Cassidy was blunt about his fate after losing in May. "I voted to uphold the Constitution. It may have cost me my seat, but who cares?" he said, according to The Guardian. His exit removes one of the last independent GOP voices in the Senate from a deep-red state.
Letlow will face Democrat Jamie Davis, a Tensas Parish police juror, in the November 3 general election. Louisiana carries a solid Republican rating, making Letlow the strong favorite. If she wins, she will become the first Republican woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, according to Wikipedia.
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