Louisiana Holds Limited Primaries After US House Primaries Moved to Fall

Louisiana voters head to the polls on May 16 for limited primary elections after the state’s U.S. House primaries were postponed until the fall.

The marquee contest is the Republican Senate primary, where incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy faces a difficult reelection fight against Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming.

An Emerson College Polling/KLFY News 10 survey found Fleming leading with 28 percent support, followed closely by Letlow at 27 percent and Cassidy at 21 percent. With no candidate expected to secure a majority, the race is widely anticipated to advance to a runoff.

Cassidy continues to face criticism from many Republicans for voting in 2021 to convict President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Although Trump was acquitted, Cassidy’s vote strained his relationship with the president, who later endorsed Letlow.

“As your next Senator, Julia will work tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Support our Amazing Farmers and Fishermen, Champion Louisiana Oil & Gas, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in January ahead of Letlow announcing her bid.

Louisiana is not considered a top Democratic target in the battle for Senate control. A Cassidy loss could further solidify a Republican conference more closely aligned with Trump and underscore the president’s continued influence within the GOP.

Cassidy has argued that he remains an effective ally to Trump despite past disagreements.

“If you want somebody who works well with President Trump, you vote for Bill Cassidy,” Cassidy told The Washington Post. “He may not like me, but he has signed into law four bills that I either wrote or negotiated in the last four months.”

As chairman of the Senate Health Committee, Cassidy also drew national attention during the confirmation process for Trump’s Health and Human Services nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Cassidy publicly debated whether to support Kennedy before ultimately backing his confirmation after receiving assurances related to vaccine oversight.

Cassidy has since become increasingly critical of Kennedy’s leadership, including changes made to the childhood vaccine schedule.

The senator has faced political backlash from Kennedy allies. Federal Election Commission filings show that MAHA PAC spent more than $276,000 on efforts opposing Cassidy and boosting Letlow, including digital advertising, mailers, and text campaigns.

The Senate race has also been shaped by fallout over Trump’s decision to withdraw surgeon general nominee Casey Means and instead nominate radiologist and Fox News contributor Nicole Saphier. Trump accused Cassidy of helping block Means’s nomination, calling the senator “a very disloyal person.”

In addition to the Senate race, voters will decide contests for the state Supreme Court, Public Service Commission, and state school board, along with five proposed constitutional amendments.

Meanwhile, Louisiana’s U.S. House primaries have been rescheduled for Nov. 3, with the general election set for Dec. 12. The delay came after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s congressional map, which included a majority-black district favoring Democrats. Although House races will still appear on Saturday’s ballots, votes cast in those contests will not be valid.

Saturday’s elections also mark a major shift in Louisiana’s voting system. Rather than using the state’s traditional “jungle primary”—in which all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party—candidates for certain offices will now compete in separate party primaries. State lawmakers approved the change in 2024, but the law did not take effect until 2026.

U.S. House races were originally expected to use the new system as well. However, state Republicans approved legislation on Thursday reinstating the jungle primary format for House contests, citing the compressed election schedule created by the Supreme Court ruling.

Cassidy’s previous Senate victories in 2014 and 2020 came under the old system, where his primary opposition largely came from Democrats.

Reuters and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.