Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Following the removal of five Indiana senators who were against his congressional redistricting efforts, President Donald Trump has set his sights on Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy from Louisiana.

Cassidy, who notably voted to convict Trump during his impeachment trial over five years ago, is now in a fierce contest for his political future in Saturday’s Republican Senate primary. He faces two challengers, one of whom is a Trump supporter, in a state that heavily leans Republican.

Trump and his allies, including Louisiana’s Republican Governor Jeff Landry, are backing Representative Julia Letlow in this Senate primary. Former U.S. Rep. John Fleming, who is currently the state treasurer, is also in the race. If no candidate secures over 50% of the vote, the top two will face off in a runoff set for June 27.

These primaries serve as a crucial measure of Trump’s influence and control over the Republican Party.

After Cassidy ran for re-election six years ago, he became one of just seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump following the House’s impeachment due to the January 6 Capitol riot, which aimed to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Ultimately, Trump was acquitted by the Senate.

Since then, however, Cassidy has supported several of Trump’s policies and nominees, including backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health Secretary. Interestingly enough, Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement seems to be seeking payback against Cassidy. As a physician, Cassidy appears skeptical about Kennedy’s national health policies, especially initiatives aimed at reducing vaccine recommendations.

Cassidy faced criticism for his role in not advancing Casey Means’ nomination for surgeon general, a Kennedy ally, as he didn’t bring it to a committee vote.

As the primary nears, Trump has labeled Cassidy as a “very dishonest person” and praised Letlow on social media, describing her as a “highly respected first American lawmaker.”

Things have gotten trickier for Cassidy with Louisiana’s change to separate party primaries for the Senate. This new approach means the Republican nominee is likely to lean more conservative and pro-Trump.

Cassidy has emphasized his experience as a two-term senator advocating for Louisiana, which is among the poorest states in the U.S. He has also shown commitment to the state’s significant oil and gas sector, vital for around 15% of its jobs.

In interviews, he pointed out his bipartisan success, noting that Trump signed four bills he was involved in. “We’re going to keep working together,” he remarked, branding himself as a “conservative senator who gets results.”

Reportedly, Cassidy and his associated super PAC have invested over $20 million in ads to defend his position, trying to prevent a Republican senator from being ousted in a primary for the first time in about fifteen years. This amount surpasses the combined total from Letlow and Fleming.

Some ads have highlighted her former support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives during her time at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, which Cassidy argues raises concerns among Republican voters.

Letlow has responded to these attacks, stating, “Every time DEI was introduced to us in 2020, we had no idea what it was, but I recognized how the left had distorted it.” She claims she has been actively fighting against DEI for the last five years since her election to Congress.

Having won her current seat in the 2020 elections, Letlow’s surge can also be attributed to her endorsement from Trump before she even announced her candidacy. “His encouragement and full support is a once-in-a-lifetime honor,” she said.

Letlow has criticized Cassidy’s bipartisan efforts, including his vote on the 2021 infrastructure bill, which he claims brought significant funding to Louisiana. Cassidy countered that voters appreciate representatives who contribute to their state’s welfare, as that bill created numerous jobs.

Fleming, who previously worked in the White House as deputy chief of staff under Trump, claims to be the most conservative contender in the primary. He has suggested that Letlow is not a true Trump supporter and leans more towards Democratic ideals.

The political landscape feels charged, especially after the recent Indiana primary, where pro-Trump candidates successfully ousted several state senators challenging Trump’s redistricting efforts.

Loyalty to Trump seems to play a significant role in the upcoming Louisiana primary, particularly since the state favored him by a 22-point margin in the last presidential election. Local Republicans are vocal about their strong support for him.

Alongside the Senate primary, Louisiana voters will also participate in primaries for the state Supreme Court and several other local offices and amendments. However, the primary for the U.S. House seat has been postponed following changes to congressional maps mandated by the U.S. Supreme Court. The state Senate appears poised to vote on a plan that would alter the representation of majority-black districts in the state legislature ahead of future elections.