Days after picking up President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow launched her campaign for Senate on Tuesday, setting up a Republican primary battle with Sen. Bill Cassidy. Letlow joins a crowded GOP race to take on Cassidy, who drew Trump’s ire with his vote to convict the president at his second impeachment trial. Her decision poses a second headache for national Republicans, who are also contending with a competitive primary in Texas. Cassidy, a physician seeking his third Senate term, has the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and campaigned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., in Louisiana last week. Letlow first revealed her plans at a breakfast in Baton Rouge hosted by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. “Louisiana deserves a conservative Senator who will not waver. I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust,” she said on social media shortly afterward. On Saturday, Trump had pledged his “Complete and Total endorsement” for Letlow, saying on his Truth Social platform, “I know Julia well, have seen her tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and she is a TOTAL WINNER!” Letlow is currently in her second full term representing Louisiana’s 5th District and serves on the Appropriations and Education and Workforce committees. She was first elected in a 2021 special election for what was to have been the seat of her late husband, Rep.-elect Luke J. Letlow, who died of COVID-19 complications days before he was scheduled to take office. Senate Republicans are defending a 53-47 majority in this year’s midterm elections, and, by and large, have a favorable map heading into November. The Senate race in Louisiana is not expected to be competitive outside the primary in a state Trump carried by 22 points in 2024. Democrats haven’t won a Senate election in the Pelican State since Mary L. Landrieu won a third term in 2008. Cassidy expressed confidence he would win reelection, disclosing on social media Tuesday that Letlow had called to inform him of her decision. “She said she respected me and that I had done a good job. I will continue to do a good job when I win re-election,” the senator said. Cassidy’s approach stands in marked contrast to other Republicans who have drawn Trump’s anger. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis announced his retirement last year after the president threatened to support a primary challenger against him, while Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a top Trump ally, resigned from the House after a highly public falling-out with the president. The NRSC did not respond to a request for comment. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said Letlow’s entry into the race was “the latest in a string of problems for national Republicans as they grapple with infighting and a toxic agenda that has put their Senate majority at risk.” Cassidy’s campaign announced last week that it had $11 million in the bank at the end of December, having raised more than $17 million for his reelection bid. Letlow, who hasn’t yet announced her fourth-quarter fundraising haul, had $2.3 million banked in September in her House campaign account, which she would be able to use for her Senate run. Cassidy was first elected to Congress in 2008, unseating Democrat Don Cazayoux. He followed a similar path to the Senate six years later, defeating Landrieu by 12 points in a runoff. In the Senate, he has generally supported Trump's agenda, including in his role as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. He provided crucial backing for the contentious nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Health and Human Services secretary. Letlow has close ties to both Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both fellow Louisianians. Even before Letlow launched her campaign, Cassidy was facing a crowded Republican primary, with several challengers citing his 2021 vote to convict Trump as a reason to run. The GOP Senate hopefuls include state Treasurer John Fleming, a former congressman; Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta; state Sen. Blake Miguez; state Rep. Julie Emerson and St. Tammany Parish Councilwoman Kathy Seiden. But with Trump’s backing, Letlow enters the race as his top challenger. Trump has not publicly waded into the Republican primary in Texas, where state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt are challenging longtime GOP incumbent John Cornyn. Like Cassidy, Cornyn has the backing of Senate Republican leaders. The Louisiana primary will be held on May 16. While the state has traditionally held open “jungle” primaries, state Republicans moved in 2024 to change to a closed system, meaning only those registered with a party can vote in that party’s primary. The new system, which takes effect for the first time this year, also requires a primary runoff between the top two vote-getters if no one takes a majority of the vote. This likely puts Cassidy at a disadvantage, unable to win a crowded Republican primary with a plurality and without a trove of potential Democratic voters to appeal to in an open contest. Letlow leaves behind a deep-red seat in northeastern Louisiana that Trump carried by 36 points in 2024, according to calculations by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales. That House contest is expected to draw interest from several prominent Republicans. One of them could be former Rep. Garret Graves, who served for a decade in the chamber. Graves did not seek reelection in 2024 after court-ordered redistricting led to the dismantling of his 6th District to create the state’s second Black-majority seat. Andrew Menezes contributed to this report.
