GOP Sen. Cassidy Loses Primary After Defying Trump

Bill Cassidy just became the first sitting US senator in nearly a decade to lose a primary—and the first of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump at his 2021 impeachment trial to be ousted by his own party. The two-term Louisiana Republican failed to even reach a runoff Saturday, with voters listening to Trump's call to defeat him, reports the Washington Post. Trump instead endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow, 45, who advanced to a June 27 runoff alongside state treasurer John Fleming, 74, a former Trump White House official.

Trump celebrated the 68-year-old Cassidy's defeat on social media once the race was called, notes the New York Times. Cassidy's "disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it's nice to see that his political career is OVER!" he wrote on Truth Social. Letlow led the crowded field with about 45% of the vote, ahead of Fleming at 28%. Cassidy landed around 25%, despite his seniority, a powerful committee gavel, and more than $21 million in supportive spending.

In a concession speech in Baton Rouge, he warned against leaders who center politics on "one individual" and swipe at elections as stolen, without naming Trump. His loss further thins the ranks of Senate Republicans who voted to convict the former president; only Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins remain.