Trump-backed Julia Letlow wins Louisiana Senate runoff after Cassidy ouster
Julia Letlow won Louisiana’s GOP Senate runoff after Trump helped push Bill Cassidy out, turning the race into a test of party loyalty and MAGA alignment.
Julia Letlow won Louisiana’s Republican Senate runoff on Saturday, June 27, 2026, defeating state Treasurer John Fleming and sealing the race that Donald Trump had targeted after Sen. Bill Cassidy was forced out of the field. With more than 95 percent of votes counted, Letlow led about 57 percent to 43 percent.
Cassidy’s collapse began in Louisiana’s May 16 jungle primary, where he finished third with about 24 percent of the vote, behind Letlow’s roughly 45 percent and Fleming’s roughly 28 percent. Under Louisiana’s two-round system, in place since 1975, no candidate can win outright without a majority, so the top finishers advanced to a runoff.
Cassidy’s vulnerability traced back to his 2021 vote to convict Trump in the Senate impeachment trial after the Jan. 6 attack. Cassidy continued to defend that decision after his defeat, saying he had voted to uphold the Constitution. Trump then backed Letlow, who leaned heavily on his endorsement, while Fleming tried to outflank her from the MAGA right.
Letlow’s victory also carries a historical marker: if she wins the general election on November 3, 2026, she would become the first Republican woman to represent Louisiana in the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic side also settled its runoff on June 27, when Jamie Davis defeated Gary Crockett to become the party’s nominee. That sets up a November general election.
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