Senator John Kennedy, R-La., stated on Sunday that former President Donald Trump’s “huge impact” on Republican politics remains potent, citing Trump’s endorsement as a key factor in a Louisiana Senate race upset that saw Rep. Julia Letlow defeat incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy.
Trump’s Endorsement Fuels GOP Shake-up
Speaking on “The Sunday Briefing,” Kennedy commented on the predictable outcome of the race, noting that polls had indicated Senator Cassidy was in political trouble for over a year. “The president’s endorsement of Congresswoman [Julia] Letlow was sort of the icing on the cake,” Kennedy said, adding that Cassidy was aware of the challenge but chose to run nonetheless.
According to The Associated Press, Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming outperformed Cassidy in the GOP primary. Letlow secured approximately 45% of the vote, followed by Fleming with about 28%, while Cassidy garnered just under 25%.
Letlow and Fleming Head to Runoff
Letlow, who has represented Louisiana’s fifth district since 2021, will proceed to a runoff election against Fleming, as neither candidate achieved the required 50% of the vote to win outright. The winner of this runoff will then face the victor of the Democratic runoff in the general election scheduled for November.
Senator Cassidy, who had previously voted to convict Trump in his impeachment trial, became a target for the former president. Trump publicly criticized Cassidy as a “disloyal disaster” and “a sleazebag, a terrible guy, who is BAD FOR LOUISIANA.” Following Cassidy’s defeat, Trump celebrated the outcome on social media, declaring it was “nice to see that his political career is OVER!”
Cassidy’s Concession and Voter Sentiment
In his concession speech, Cassidy appeared to subtly criticize the president’s approach to elections. He advised voters that in democracy, “sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to, but you don’t pout, you don’t whine. You don’t claim the election was stolen… You don’t manufacture some excuse.” Cassidy thanked voters for the privilege of representing them.
While acknowledging Trump’s endorsement as a significant factor in Letlow’s strong performance, Kennedy also pointed to other contributing elements. He mentioned voter dissatisfaction with changes to Louisiana’s primary system, where a move to closed primaries prevented many voters from participating as they wished. Kennedy also noted confusion surrounding postponed congressional elections while the Senate election proceeded.
“President Trump’s endorsement had a huge, huge impact. There’s no question about that, but there were other factors,” Kennedy reiterated. “Bill’s been in trouble politically for over a year, and he knew that, and I don’t think anybody was especially surprised, especially after President Trump weighed in.”
