Report: Bill Cassidy Risks Missing Runoff as Letlow, Fleming Surge in Louisiana Senate Race

Breitbart ^ | April 10, 2026 | Jamyn Jordan

[House Atreides]

Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) reelection effort is under mounting pressure as Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary enters its final weeks, with the incumbent lashing out at GOP allies and facing the possibility of missing the runoff altogether in an increasingly volatile three-way race.

Just five weeks before Louisiana Republicans vote on May 16, Cassidy finds himself squeezed between Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, the former congressman and founding member of the House Freedom Caucus….

…. In February 2021, Cassidy voted to convict Trump during the president’s second impeachment trial. He later said, “I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty.” Cassidy subsequently argued in multiple interviews that Trump could not win another general election, said he would not support him in 2024, urged Trump to leave the race in 2023, and even signaled openness to a third-party No Labels effort.

Those comments left Cassidy deeply vulnerable in a Louisiana Republican primary, particularly after the state moved away from its old jungle-primary system and adopted closed Republican primaries beginning in 2024. Under the previous system, Cassidy could rely on support from independents, moderates, and Democrats. Now, only Republican voters will determine the outcome….

… Punchbowl News noted that it was highly unlikely any candidate would clear 50 percent in the May 16 primary, making a June runoff likely. Republican insiders told Punchbowl that all three candidates had a realistic chance of advancing, but many believed either Letlow or Fleming would defeat Cassidy in a head-to-head runoff.

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TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: billcassidy; breitbart; cassidy; fleming; housefreedomcaucus; jamynjordan; johnfleming; julialetlow; letlow; louisiana; maga; rino; runoff; senate

[House Atreides]

“ … state moved away from its old jungle-primary system and adopted closed Republican primaries beginning in 2024. Under the previous system, Cassidy could rely on support from independents, moderates, and Democrats. Now, only Republican voters will determine the outcome.…”

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This is the MOST CRITICAL part of this article. Now if only more red states would do this (do you hear us, South Carolina, Alaska, etc.?) we’d have fewer duplicitous fake Republicans in Congress.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

CASSIDY is NOT my Senator...but he’s the ONLY one whose office I’ve ever called...both his state office and the one in D.C.

HE is the reason why we don’t have the incredible Dave Weldon, MD as head of CDC.

Weldon was RFK Jr’s first pick — Weldon is totally qualified, a practicing physician, and NOT anti-vax -— but just because he’s not a Fauci stooge or Big Pharma stooge, CASSIDY blocked his confirmation from going forward.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Go Julia Letlow!

"

[bantam]

Would love to see Cassidy come in 3rd out of three!

[Mr. N. Wolfe]

“Would love to see Cassidy come in 3rd out of three!”

It wouldn’t be the first time an incumbent Republican senator lost in a three-way race.

Former senator Bob Bennett (R-UT)

From Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Bennett_(politician)

“Despite a strong approval rating among statewide voters, Bennett was defeated on May 8, 2010, at the Utah Republican Convention after finishing third in the second round of balloting, to Mike Lee and Tim Bridgewater.”

Mike Lee won the general election.

[Mr. N. Wolfe]

I hope Fleming wins. Then retires after one term, giving Louisianans an opportunity to elect a more conservative candidate.

Either way, Cassidy needs to lose.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

Cassidy voted to remove Trump from office. How can anybody vote for him?

[FLT-bird]

Another traitorous RINO about to be flushed down the toilet.

Tillis gone
The Turtle gone
Cornyn soon to be gone
Cassidy soon to be gone
Lady Lindsey?

MAGA is going to bag several more RINOs this cycle. Keep hunting them down election after election until all the of them have been purged.

[odawg]

“Cassidy voted to remove Trump from office. How can anybody vote for him?”

According to campaign ads, it was strictly Bill Cassidy and Trump that got the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed. The ad has about four people smilingly thanking Bill for the bill, and Bill Cassidy magnanimously acknowledging their thank yous. He is such a wonderful person, everyone should see his aw-shucks smile.

[marktwain]

… state moved away from its old jungle-primary system and adopted closed Republican primaries beginning in 2024.

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You are correct. What open primaries do is shift power from the parties and to the Media, when it was the old, dominant, progressive Media.

I support your idea of doing away with open primaries.

[DIRTYSECRET]

The worst one I remember was Chuck Hagel-Nebraska. Discusting.

[Racketeer]

Go John Fleming. He is the only consservative in the race.

[gibsonguy]

McConnell helped get ranked voting through in AK to save Murk.