Louisiana Republican voters denied Sen. Bill Cassidy a third term Saturday, delivering a major political defeat to one of the few GOP senators who voted to convict President Donald Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot.

With most ballots counted, Trump-endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow finished in first place in the Republican primary, while Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming secured second place, pushing Cassidy into third and ending his re-election bid.

According to vote totals with 92 percent reporting, Letlow received 44.8 percent of the vote, Fleming captured 28.4 percent, and Cassidy trailed with 24.7 percent. The Associated Press projected Letlow and Fleming as the two candidates advancing to the June 27 runoff election.

Letlow is considered the early favorite heading into the runoff, largely due to Trump’s endorsement, which the president reaffirmed Friday on Truth Social while returning from his summit in China with President Xi Jinping.

After Cassidy’s defeat became clear, Trump celebrated the outcome online and renewed his attacks on the Louisiana senator over the impeachment vote.

“Bill Cassidy . . . voted to impeach me on preposterous charges that were fake then, and now, are criminally insane!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “His 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!”

Cassidy, 68, was among seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump on charges of incitement following the January 6, 2021 Capitol unrest. Political observers note that number could shrink even further in the next Congress if Sen. Susan Collins faces defeat in her own re-election race, potentially leaving Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski as the lone remaining Republican impeachment supporter still in office.

In addition to his impeachment vote, Cassidy had publicly urged Trump to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race following the classified documents indictment tied to Mar-a-Lago and had criticized the administration as insufficiently pro-life.

Trump moved early to weaken Cassidy politically by endorsing Letlow back in January — even before she officially entered the race — forcing the incumbent senator into a difficult renomination battle.

The president continued attacking Cassidy throughout Election Day itself.

“Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is a disloyal disaster. His entire past campaign for the Senate was about ‘TRUMP,’ how he’s with me all the way, and then, after winning, he turned around and voted to IMPEACH me for something that has now proven to be total “bulls—!” Trump posted on Truth Social Saturday while the vote was going on.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who also hails from Louisiana, acknowledged earlier in the week that the race had placed him in a politically uncomfortable position because of his relationships with all three candidates.

Johnson described Letlow as “like a sister to me” while also noting that Fleming had previously represented Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District before him.

Over recent months, Cassidy had attempted to repair relations with Trump and the MAGA base, including reluctantly voting to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary despite disagreements over vaccine policy.

Meanwhile, both Cassidy and Fleming criticized Letlow over her past role as a senior administrator at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, where she once described herself as a “strong and progressive leader” and supported diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Cassidy’s loss marks another victory for Trump-backed candidates following a series of successful primary challenges against Republicans who had opposed the president on issues including redistricting in Indiana.

Attention now shifts to Kentucky, where another Trump-backed challenger will face off Tuesday against Rep. Thomas Massie. Former Navy SEAL and farmer Ed Gallrein is challenging the libertarian-leaning congressman with Trump’s endorsement behind him.

{Matzav.com}