Trump-backed Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow defeated State Treasurer John Fleming in Saturday’s Republican Senate primary runoff, underscoring the president’s continued influence in GOP nominating contests.
Letlow is now set to represent Republicans on the November ballot after taking more than 55% of the vote to Fleming’s roughly 45%, with 41% of ballots counted.
Trump endorsed Letlow in January ahead of the May primary. Letlow, who was elected in 2021 to fill the House seat of her late husband, Luke Letlow, after he died from COVID-19 complications, went on to help oust incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy in a three-way race.
Although Letlow finished first in the primary, polling in recent weeks showed her runoff matchup with Fleming narrowing.
On the Democratic side, Jamie Davis won his party’s nomination with more than 78% of the vote, while Gary Crockett drew about 21%.
Trump had repeatedly clashed with Cassidy, who voted to impeach him in 2021 on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” following the Capitol riot, though Cassidy later cast a key vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services.
The president frequently attacked Cassidy as “disloyal” and publicly declared that his political career was “OVER.”
Their feud continued even after Cassidy’s loss. Last week, the two reportedly argued during a closed-door Senate luncheon after Cassidy joined three other Republicans in voting against the president on an Iran War Powers resolution.
Fleming, 74, the state Treasurer, served in Congress from 2009 to 2017. He also previously served as Deputy White House Chief of Staff at the tail end of Trump’s first term.
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Both had conservative positions and jockeyed to show their support for Trump’s agenda.
Despite Trump’s endorsement of Letlow, he called himself the MAGA conservative in the race, and rapped Letlow for prior support of diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
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But the president made a series of online posts to boost Letlow, 45, in the final days of the race.
On Friday he called her a “Highly Respected America First Congresswoman” and a “Great Star” as well as a “TOTAL WINNER” and “wonderful person” who has been “tested at the highest and most difficult levels.”
Letlow beat Fleming 45-28 in the May primary, with Cassidy coming in third at 25%.
But polls in recent days showed a tightening race in what was expected to be a low-turnout election.
Trump has achieved a success rate of 98% in his endorsements, according to Ballotpedia, although that includes candidates who didn’t have an opponent, and there have been contested races where Trump took a pass or jumped in after a candidate had pulled ahead.
