A candidate backed by US President Donald Trump has won the Republican primary in Louisiana, positioning her to capture a US Senate seat in November.
Julia Letlow, currently a US Representative, defeated state Treasurer John Fleming in Tuesday's runoff. She will face Democratic candidate Jamie Davis, a farmer, in the November midterm election, but is considered the frontrunner in the deep South state that leans heavily Republican.
Trump intervened in the race ahead of the initial May 16 primary. He endorsed Letlow while publicly opposing incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy. Cassidy was one of the few Republican senators who voted to convict Trump after his impeachment over the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot carried out by Trump supporters.
A medical doctor, Cassidy also clashed with the Trump administration over health policies under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Nonetheless, in recent years Cassidy has largely backed Trump policy initiatives, seemingly to mend relations with the president.
Cassidy finished third in the first round of voting behind Letlow and former Representative Fleming, both staunch supporters of Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. Letlow's victory underscores Trump's continued influence over most Republican voters.
Trump previously succeeded in endorsing a challenger against incumbent Representative Thomas Massie, a Trump critic, in Kentucky, and in backing loyalist Ken Paxton to defeat incumbent Senator John Cornyn in Texas. However, Trump has been less successful in gubernatorial races, with his endorsed candidates failing to secure nominations in Iowa and Georgia.
It remains unclear whether Trump's intervention will provide an edge in the general election, as Democrats seek to regain control of the House and Senate from Republicans. Polls show Trump's support waning among the general electorate. His approval rating has hit record lows amid the US-Israel war with Iran, which has caused ripple effects on the US economy. The administration's tough approach to deportations has also scored low, especially after two US citizens were killed by immigration enforcement personnel in January.
This political climate could energize Democrats and potentially alienate unaffiliated voters. Some Republican officials have also criticized Trump's tendency to prioritize loyalty over a candidate's electability. For example, Republican leaders expressed particular frustration over Trump's endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn in Texas. Paxton, the controversial state attorney general, is seen as a weaker candidate compared to the moderate Cornyn. Paxton is now forecast to face a tough race against emerging Democratic rival James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, who has resonated in the state through a mix of faith and liberal policies.
