Louisiana Senator Blake Migues (R) has officially kicked off his campaign to challenge Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) in the upcoming 2026 election, joining a growing field of GOP candidates vying for the Senate seat.
In a video released Tuesday, Cassidy focused on his past decisions, featuring footage of GOP Senators discussing his vote to convict President Trump in 2021. Meanwhile, Migues is positioning himself as a more conservative choice for voters.
“Do you want a senator who stands with Trump? A straight shooter ready to fight?” asks Migues in the ad, while brandishing a rifle. “I’m that guy. We’re tired of weak Republicans.”
He adds, “Bill Cassidy had his chance. He blew it. I didn’t,” as images of gunfire and explosions flash in the background.
A few Republicans are seeking to unseat Cassidy in next year’s race, with treasurer John Fleming and Migues being the most prominent among them.
Both candidates are positioning themselves as staunch supporters of Trump, particularly following the fallout from the January 6, 2021, Capitol incident that saw Trump acquitted in the Senate.
In an effort to align himself with Trump, Cassidy has also supported some of the more controversial candidates backed by the former president, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
He claims to be in tune with Trump’s priorities, advocating for a shutdown of the education sector, among other things.
This election cycle presents a new challenge for Cassidy, who will need to navigate a Republican primary before facing the general election. Previously, Louisiana’s Senate elections operated under an open primary system.
In this new format, if candidates receive a majority, the top two vote-getters will proceed to the runoff.
Although Louisiana still employs the “jungle” primary for some elections, the Senate races are now subject to a closed primary process.
That said, the emergence of multiple hardline candidates may actually work in Cassidy’s favor, potentially splitting the conservative vote and making it easier for him to advance in the GOP primary.
