Cassidy fails to advance in Louisiana GOP primary
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- Sen. Bill Cassidy was projected to fail to advance to the runoff in Louisiana's GOP Senate primary on Saturday, per Decision Desk HQ, ending his reelection bid.
- Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming advanced to a June 27 runoff after no candidate cleared 50% of the vote.
- Cassidy was one of seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, and one of only three who remained in office — a list that is now down to two.
- Trump attacked Cassidy on Truth Social after the result, declaring his "political career is OVER" and citing his impeachment vote disloyalty.
- Cassidy used his concession speech to jab Trump on election denialism: "You don't claim the election was stolen, you don't find a reason why you lost."
- Trump had recently blamed Cassidy — chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — for blocking the nomination of Casey Means for surgeon general, drawing backlash from RFK Jr. and MAHA allies.
- Letlow first won her House seat in a 2021 special election after her husband Luke Letlow won election to Congress in 2020 but died from COVID-19 before taking office.
Why it matters: Cassidy's ouster removes a key committee chair (Senate HELP) and narrows the list of GOP senators who broke with Trump over Jan. 6 to just two sitting members, consolidating Trump's grip on the Senate caucus ahead of the 2026 midterms. The June 27 Letlow-Fleming runoff will decide who holds the seat.
