Louisiana Senate Primary Tests Power of Trump Endorsement

The three-way Louisiana GOP Senate primary is at a standstill. Even with President Donald Trump’s early endorsement, a runoff looks likely.

The president passed over two-term incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and gave his coveted endorsement to Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La.

The Louisiana primary is set for May 16. A crowded ballot makes it likely the election will go to a runoff slated for June 27. Sitting Sen. Cassidy is going up against Letlow and former U.S. Rep. John Fleming, R-La., who currently serves as the state treasurer.

Letlow came into the race late but quickly received the sought-after endorsement from President Donald Trump. The president noted in his endorsement video that Letlow had been a “friend” and had been “as loyal as can be.”

Cassidy was unlikely to receive any support from Trump after he voted to impeach the president for the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. At a recent campaign stop, Cassidy told NBC that the 2021 vote “might be” a liability for his campaign and acknowledged it is a vote “people will remember” him for.

“Bill Cassidy is collapsing under the weight of his anti-Trump record,” a Letlow campaign spokesperson, Katherine Thordahl, told the Daily Signal. “While Julia Letlow is building an insurmountable lead thanks to President Trump’s complete and total endorsement.”

Cassidy did not respond to a request from The Daily Signal for comment.

However, neither candidate looks likely to cross the 50% vote threshold needed to win the primary and avoid a runoff. Fleming’s entry into the race has siphoned conservative votes from both Cassidy and Letlow.

Fleming was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Fleming told Punchbowl that the White House has twice offered “anything they could” to get him to step out of the race. “I said no, of course, and diplomatically said no,” Fleming told the outlet. The White House has denied these claims.

Letlow’s Trump endorsement could also provide a boon to her campaign financially in the future. The president’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., has more than $300 million in its war chest.

She has been backed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s aligned super PAC, Make America Healthy Again. The group pledged $1 million to Letlow, likely due to Cassidy’s lack of support for the secretary and skepticism of his health policy.

Cassidy ultimately voted to confirm Kennedy, but sparred with Kennedy over the efficacy of vaccines and other health-related issues.

The Senate Leadership Fund and the National Republican Senate Committee have both pledged their support to Cassidy.

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