Letlow Officially Joins Louisiana Senate Race After Trump Endorsement Against Cassidy
Highlights
- Trump endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow to challenge Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana’s 2026 Republican Senate primary
- Letlow called Cassidy Monday morning to inform him she’s running for his seat
- Cassidy holds $11 million in campaign cash compared to Letlow’s $2.1 million in her House account
- A pro-RFK Jr. political group pledged $1 million to support Letlow’s campaign
- The endorsement came despite Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s efforts to convince Trump to back Cassidy
Trump Endorses Louisiana’s Julia Letlow for Senate Against Bill Cassidy
President backs Monroe congresswoman to challenge incumbent senator in GOP primary.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — Congresswoman Julia Letlow announced at a Baton Rouge event Tuesday morning that she is running for Bill Cassidy's Senate seat, a move that was highly anticipated after President Donald Trump endorsed her Saturday night.
Letlow joins a crowded Republican primary as conservative anger over Cassidy's record and now Trump's involvement signal a tough road for the incumbent U.S. Senator.
At an annual business event in Baton Rouge, Letlow told the audience that she was getting into the race.
“My parents taught me well," she told the crowd. "They taught me that when the Lord opens a door, you don’t walk through it. You run."
"It’s an honor to share with you today that I’m officially announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate," she concluded.
What Happened Saturday Night
According to NBC News, Trump’s Truth Social post on Saturday praised Letlow as a “Great Star” and urged her to run. “Should she decide to enter this Race, Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump wrote. “RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!”
Letlow responded within hours, posting on social media that she was “honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust.” She didn’t formally announce a Senate bid in that post, but she told Cassidy Monday morning she’s running.
“My mission is clear: to ensure the nation our children inherit is safer and stronger,” Letlow wrote. “This United States Senate seat belongs to the people of Louisiana, because we deserve conservative leadership that will not waver.”
Letlow represents Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District, which covers much of northeastern and central Louisiana. She was first elected in March 2021 after her husband, Luke Letlow, died from COVID-19 complications just days before he was scheduled to take office in the same seat he had won.
Cassidy’s Response and Campaign War Chest
Letlow called Cassidy on Monday morning to tell him she was running.
“Congresswoman Letlow called me this morning to say she was running,” Cassidy said in a statement. “She said she respected me and that I had done a good job. I will continue to do a good job when I win re-election. I am a conservative who wakes up every morning thinking about how to make Louisiana and the United States a better place to live.”
Over the weekend, Cassidy said he’s confident he’ll win even if Letlow decided to run.
“I’m proudly running for re-election as a principled conservative who gets things done for the people of Louisiana,” Cassidy wrote on social media at the time. “If Congresswoman Letlow decides to run I am confident I will win.”
Cassidy has more money than everyone else combined. According to the Washington Examiner, Cassidy holds $11 million in cash on hand and expects to spend over $26 million before the May 16 primary — what his campaign calls “the single largest spend supporting a Louisiana party primary candidate ever.”
Letlow, meanwhile, had $2.1 million in her House campaign account as of late 2025. That number will probably jump if she officially enters the Senate race with Trump’s backing.
Senate Leadership Tried to Stop This
Trump endorsed Letlow even after Senate Republican leaders tried to talk him out of it. NOTUS reported that Senate Majority Leader John Thune called Trump on Friday, urging the president to support Cassidy instead.
Thune told Trump that Republicans can’t afford to lose another vote in their narrow Senate majority on reconciliation bills, Federal Reserve appointments, and health care legislation. He also pointed out that Cassidy has been loyal to Trump during the current Congress.
But it didn’t work. Trump endorsed Letlow anyway.
The tension between Trump and Cassidy dates back to January 2021, when Cassidy was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial following the Capitol riot. The Louisiana Republican Party formally censured Cassidy for that vote.
Other Republicans Already Running
Several Republicans have already announced campaigns against Cassidy, including:
- Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, a former congressman who served in Trump’s first administration
- State Sen. Blake Miguez of Lafayette, who holds $2.5 million in campaign cash
- State Rep. Julie Emerson, who is also considering entering the race
- Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta
- St. Tammany Parish Councilwoman Kathy Seiden
Key Dates and the New Primary System
Letlow needs to officially file by February 13, 2026, per Louisiana’s Secretary of State. The Republican primary is May 16, 2026, with a potential runoff on June 27 if no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote.
Louisiana started using a new closed primary system with the 2026 elections, ditching its old “jungle primary” format. Republicans now face only other Republicans in the primary, with the winner going to the November general election.
If Letlow wins the Senate race, that opens up Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat. WBRZ reported that state Sen. Rich Edmonds and state Rep. Dixon McMakin both want to run for the seat if it becomes available.
