Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, one of the last remaining Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump at his 2021 impeachment trial, was decisively defeated in Saturday's Republican primary, finishing third behind Trump-endorsed Congresswoman Julia Letlow and state treasurer John Fleming. Letlow won roughly 45% of the vote, with Fleming taking around 28% and Cassidy trailing at 25%. Because neither Letlow nor Fleming secured an outright majority, the two will face off in a runoff election on June 27. Louisiana, a reliably Republican state in the Deep South, means the winner of that contest will be the heavy favourite in the general election.

Cassidy, 68, was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump following the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Trump was ultimately acquitted, as the 57-43 vote fell short of the two-thirds majority required. Of those seven Republicans, only three remained in the Senate heading into this election cycle — Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Cassidy. Murkowski survived a primary challenge in 2022, but Cassidy's effort to do the same fell short despite an aggressive and well-funded campaign. His operation spent an estimated $9.6 million on advertising, with a supporting super PAC spending a further $12.3 million — roughly double the combined spending of his opponents.

Trump had made no secret of his desire to remove Cassidy, publicly calling him