Trump-Backed Letlow Wins Louisiana Senate Runoff

Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) won a Republican primary runoff for Senate in Louisiana on June 27, beating state Treasurer John Fleming.

Letlow will face the Democratic candidate for senator, Jamie Davis, in the Nov. 3 general election.

“I am deeply honored by the trust the people of Louisiana have placed in me,” Letlow wrote in a post on X. She had been endorsed by President Donald Trump.

“Thank you to every voter, volunteer, and supporter who made this victory possible. I am grateful for President Trump’s endorsement, and the support of Governor Landry, Leader Scalise, Congressman Higgins, Attorney General Murrill, and so many more incredible conservatives who came together to make tonight possible.”

The race went to a runoff because none of the Republican candidates won a majority in the May 16 primary. Sen. Bill Cassidy, the incumbent, finished third in the primary and didn’t qualify for the runoff.

Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during the president’s second impeachment trial in February 2021, saying that Trump was guilty of being involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. The vote triggered an immediate backlash from many Republicans. The Louisiana Republican Party voted to censure Cassidy.

Trump gave Letlow another a glowing endorsement before the Senate runoff. Trump called her a “Great Star” and praised her as a “Highly Respected America First Congresswoman” who has “always delivered for Louisiana.”

Letlow was elected to Congress in 2021 after her husband, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, died at age 41 from complications related to COVID-19 before taking office.

Luke Letlow had won Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat in December 2020 but suffered a heart attack that doctors said was likely caused by COVID-19-related blood clots. His death prompted a special election, which Julia Letlow won, allowing her to succeed her late husband in representing the district.

Fleming is Louisiana’s state treasurer and previously represented the state’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2009 to 2017. Fleming later served in the Trump administration, including as assistant secretary of commerce for economic development. His campaign highlighted his service in the Trump administration.

Letlow’s victory followed another recent success for a Trump-endorsed Senate candidate. In Georgia, Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) won the Republican Senate runoff just days after Trump endorsed him over former football coach Derek Dooley. Collins will now face incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races this November.