Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict Donald Trump at his 2021 impeachment trial, lost his bid for reelection Saturday after failing to make a primary runoff in Louisiana.
Cassidy, a physician turned politician, was trailing in third place with about 25 percent of the vote when The Associated Press called the race at 10:49 p.m. Eastern time. Rep. Julia Letlow, who had the president’s endorsement, was in first place in the GOP primary with around 45 percent while state Treasurer John Fleming was at 28 percent. With no one getting a majority of the vote, Letlow and Fleming will advance to a June 27 runoff.
Cassidy is the first incumbent senator to lose a regularly scheduled primary election since Indiana Republican Richard G. Lugar fell short against a tea party-backed challenger in 2012.
“When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to,” Cassidy said in a pointed election night speech after noting that he had spoken with Letlow and Fleming to congratulate them. “But you don’t pout, you don’t whine, you don’t claim that election was stolen.”
Trump brought up the senator’s impeachment vote as he celebrated the primary outcome on his Truth Social platform.
