Rep. Julia Letlow on Tuesday announced she’s challenging Sen. Bill Cassidy for his Louisiana seat, days after President Trump gave her a glowing endorsement instead of for the Republican incumbent, according to reports.
Ms. Letlow’s bid for the safely red seat this year represents a blow to Mr. Cassidy, who may be looking at a crowded GOP primary with three official campaign announcements.
Over the weekend, Mr. Trump said that the “highly respected America First congresswoman” has his “complete and total endorsement.”
“I know Julia well, have seen her tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and she is a TOTAL WINNER! A Proud Mother of two children, Julia is a wonderful person, has ALWAYS delivered for Louisiana, and would continue doing so in the United States Senate,” he said on social media.
“Run, Julia, run!!!” he wrote in all-capital letters.
Ms. Letlow said she was “honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust.”
She announced her candidacy at an annual business event with other state leaders in Baton Rouge, according to Nola.com.
“My parents taught me well. They taught me that when the Lord opens a door, you don’t walk through it — you run,” Ms. Letlow said during the event. “It’s an honor to share with you today that I’m officially announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate.”
Mr. Cassidy was in attendance.
He said Ms. Letlow called him Tuesday morning with a heads-up about her announcement.
“She said she respected me and that I had done a good job,” he said in a statement. “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.”
The two-term senator has said he’s confident he’ll win.
“I’m proudly running for reelection as a principled conservative who gets things done for the people of Louisiana,” the two-term Republican said.
Mr. Cassidy’s campaign manager, Katie Larkin, said the senator’s reelection run has strong momentum with “the single largest spend supporting a Louisiana party primary candidate EVER.”
“Senator Cassidy is the only candidate for the U.S. Senate with a proven conservative track record of delivering for Louisiana. Louisianans know they can count on Cassidy, and he has the support, resources, and momentum to prove it,” Ms. Larkin said in a statement.
The president’s endorsement of Ms. Letlow indicated political retribution, speaking volumes about his fractured relationship with Mr. Cassidy.
After voting to convict Mr. Trump on an impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Mr. Cassidy has worked to rewrite their relationship, in private and in public. Pinned on his X feed is a picture of him and the president in the Oval Office, along with the caption, “This is what a great working relationship looks like.”
In September, the senator said he hoped Mr. Trump would stay neutral in the race.
“We’ve worked very well together, and I’ve worked hard for his agenda,” Mr. Cassidy told Politico. “And I think he recognizes that.”
Even with his efforts to get back on the president’s good side, Mr. Trump’s endorsement of Ms. Letlow could hurt Mr. Cassidy.
The president has endorsed all but three of the 22 Senate Republicans running for reelection, choosing to leave out incumbents who have crossed him.
This backing of Ms. Letlow also adds a kink in Senate GOP leadership’s involvement in Mr. Cassidy’s campaign, as Majority Leader John Thune campaigned with him in Louisiana last week.
Ms. Letlow said after the president publicly backed her, “This United States Senate seat belongs to the people of Louisiana, because we deserve conservative leadership that will not waver.”
She was the first female Republican elected to Congress from Louisiana.
She was sworn into the House in 2021 after her late husband was elected but died of COVID-19 five days before the new Congress convened. She had the president’s blessing to run in the special election to replace her husband, which she won, followed by reelection victories in 2022 and 2024.
Mr. Trump posted Satruday: “As your next Senator, Julia will work tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Support our Amazing Farmers and Fishermen, Champion Louisiana Oil & Gas, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.”
