Monday, May 18Monday, May 18U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, the incumbent Republican from Louisiana, lost his primary bid for a third term after failing to secure a top-two finish in the state’s GOP Senate primary on May 16, 2026. The race will now advance to a June 27 runoff between Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming, both of whom outperformed Cassidy in the initial vote .
Cassidy’s defeat was widely attributed to his 2021 vote to convict former President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial following the January 6 Capitol attack. Trump, who had branded Cassidy as "disloyal," actively campaigned against him, endorsing Letlow in January 2026 and framing the primary as a referendum on loyalty to the MAGA movement. Cassidy’s opposition to Trump extended beyond the impeachment vote; he also played a key role in blocking Casey Means’ nomination for surgeon general, drawing further backlash from Trump-aligned factions, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the MAHA movement, which views Cassidy as a symbol of the medical establishment they oppose .
In an attempt to regain favor with Trump’s base, Cassidy cast a decisive vote in 2025 to advance Kennedy’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, despite Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism—a stance that conflicted with Cassidy’s background as a physician and his prior support for immunizations. This move was seen as a calculated effort to rehabilitate his image but ultimately failed to sway voters . Trump publicly denounced Cassidy as a "sleazebag," "terrible guy," and "disloyal disaster" in the lead-up to the primary, further solidifying his opposition .
The primary marked Louisiana’s first use of a closed-primary system for a U.S. Senate race in over 50 years, a change that analysts suggested disadvantaged Cassidy. In previous elections, Cassidy benefited from crossover Democratic support, but the new rules limited his appeal to a narrower Republican electorate. Letlow, who secured Trump’s endorsement, positioned herself as a staunch MAGA ally, while Fleming, though lacking Trump’s formal backing, campaigned as a Trump-aligned conservative . Cassidy’s loss underscores Trump’s continued influence over the Republican Party, as his intervention directly contributed to the ousting of a two-term incumbent in a deep-red state .
Epstein, Iran and AI slop: inside the wild Trump vs Massie fight in Kentucky Primary race is test of presidents hold over Republicans — and the reach of his billionaire allies
financial times · about 12 hours ago
Republican Senator Cassidy loses Louisiana primary after opposing Trump Bill Cassidy is among seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump after the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
aljazeera · about 12 hours ago
Trump rants about Republican enemy Bill Cassidy before Louisiana election loss: Sleazebag, terrible guy, disloyal disaster Republican Senator Bill Cassidy voted to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial
independent · about 13 hours ago
Trump sent a message by targeting Bill Cassidy. In defeat, Cassidy delivered one back
news.yahoo.com · about 17 hours ago
Incumbent Bill Cassidy knocked out in Louisianas GOP US Senate primary This story was originally published by Louisiana Illuminator U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy incurred the wrath of pro-Trump Republicans…
europesays.com · about 17 hours ago
Louisiana election live updates: Sen. Bill Cassidy loses primary as two candidates advance to runoff Multiple Louisiana voters who cast ballots in the GOP primary at a Baton Rouge polling place Saturday described…
europesays.com · about 18 hours ago
Takeaways from Sen. Bill Cassidys defeat in Louisiana Senate primary election Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy wanted his reelection campaign to be about the present and the future. President…
europesays.com · about 19 hours ago
Letlow, Fleming advance to runoff in Louisiana GOP Senate primary, CBS News projects
news.yahoo.com · about 20 hours ago
Trump-backed challenger defeats two-term Republican senator in primary President had branded Bill Cassidy of Louisiana disloyal for voting to impeach him
financial times · about 21 hours ago
Republican Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy loses primary after Trump intervenes to oust him Cassidys bid to win nomination for third term was imperiled by his vote to convict Trump after January 6 insurrectionThe Republican senator Bill Cassidy lost his primary on Saturday, as voters in Louisiana opted instead to advance two challengers to a runoff election after an extraordinary intervention by Donald Trump to oust the incumbent.Cassidys bid to win the Republican partys nomination for a third term in the deep-red state was imperiled by his decision to vote in favor of Trumps conviction after the January 6 insurrection. In what was widely seen as an effort to rehabilitate his standing with the president, Cassidy last year cast the deciding vote to advance vaccine skeptic Robert F Kennedy Jrs nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, flying in the face of the senators support for immunizations and training as a physician. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 21 hours ago
🇺🇸 — Yesterday, Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) endorsed Thomas Massie in the Kentucky-04 primary, while also declaring she still supports President Trump. In response, President Trump called her weak-minded and endorsed a Republican primary challenge against her. Lauren Boebert is once of Trumps most fanatical supporters, having promoted the Clinton body count theory and claimed in 2021 that Trump had declassified documents in the final days of his presidency that exposed corruption throughout the U.S. legislature that would cause mass resignations and have the Republican Party take back the House and Senate before the 2022 elections. Boebert was also one of the three Republican representatives to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files, alongside Massie and now-resigned Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
telegram bot · about 21 hours ago
Sen. Bill Cassidy loses Louisiana Republican Senate primary Sen. Bill Cassidy failed to finish in the top two spots in Louisianas Republican Senate primary on Saturday, AP projects. The race now goes to a June 27 runoff between Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming.Why it matters: Its a win for President Trump, who backed Letlow and urged voters to oust Cassidy, whom hes described as very disloyal. Driving the news: Cassidy ran afoul of Trump when he voted more to convict the president during his Senate impeachment trial over the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Trump was acquitted, but hes sought retribution against Republicans who supported the impeachment effort. Between the lines: Cassidy also helped torpedo Casey Means nomination for surgeon general, a move that drew the ire of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the MAHA movement. Means, a health influencer, is a close Kennedy ally and a major figure in the MAHA movement. She is also the sister of Calley Means, a top Kennedy adviser.Kennedy and his supporters view Cassidy, a physician-turned-senator who chairs the Senate HELP Committee, as an avatar for the medical establishment theyre determined to upend, as Axios Alex Isenstadt wrote.Zoom in: Saturday marked the first time in more than 50 years that Louisiana used a closed-primary system to choose its U.S. senator, a change widely viewed as putting Cassidy at a disadvantage. In his previous primary victories, Cassidys main opposition came from Democrats. Trump endorsed Letlow, a U.S. House member from the northeastern part of the state, in January. Fleming cast himself as a Trump and MAGA ally, despite not having the presidents endorsement.
axios · about 21 hours ago