President Donald Trump scored a major Republican primary victory in Louisiana after incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy failed to advance to the runoff, marking a significant political setback for one of the GOP senators who voted to convict Trump.
According to election projections, Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming advanced to Saturday’s Senate Republican primary runoff, while Cassidy was knocked out of the race.
Cassidy, 68, had faced growing anger from pro-Trump Republicans after becoming one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial.
The result quickly drew national attention as conservative activists and Trump supporters celebrated Cassidy’s defeat as another sign of Trump’s continued influence over the Republican Party.
TRENDING TODAY
In the days leading up to the vote, Trump-aligned voices urged Louisiana Republicans to turn out against Cassidy, arguing that his impeachment vote made him unacceptable to the party’s base.
Conservative activist Scott Presler also pushed voters to participate, saying Louisiana Republicans had an opportunity to remove Cassidy from office and send a message to establishment GOP leaders.
The outcome is likely to intensify debate inside the Republican Party over loyalty to Trump, the future of anti-Trump Republicans and the direction of Senate leadership.
Cassidy had attempted to defend his record and position himself as an experienced conservative voice, but his impeachment vote remained a major political liability among Republican voters in Louisiana.
Letlow and Fleming will now move forward to the runoff, where the race is expected to attract major attention from national conservative groups and Trump-aligned organizations.
The result adds to a growing list of Republican contests where candidates seen as closer to Trump have gained momentum against establishment-backed figures.
For Trump supporters, Cassidy’s defeat represents another example of the former president’s power to shape GOP primaries and punish Republicans who broke with him during major political battles.
The Louisiana runoff is now expected to become a key test of which candidate can best unite the state’s Republican voters heading into the next stage of the race.
CBS News projects Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana state Treasurer John Fleming advanced to a runoff in Saturday’s Senate Republican primary, knocking out incumbent GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy.
Cassidy, 68, was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his… pic.twitter.com/K2YUmwHa8J
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 17, 2026
