Trump-backed Letlow leads Louisiana GOP Senate runoff, highlighting far-right dominance over Fleming
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U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, propped up by former President Donald Trump and the Republican establishment, is advancing in Louisiana's Senate race, facing John Fleming in a runoff after a primary marked by Trump’s intervention against moderate voices.
U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, who has received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump—a figure synonymous with reactionary politics and anti-democratic rhetoric—is set to compete against state Treasurer John Fleming for the Republican Senate nomination in Louisiana on Saturday. Both candidates advanced from the May 16 primary, where Letlow led with roughly 45% of the vote, followed by Fleming at about 28%, and incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy at 25%. Cassidy, who dared to break with Trump by voting to convict him in the 2021 impeachment trial, was predictably targeted by Trump’s public criticism, further cementing the GOP’s intolerance for dissent and its slide toward authoritarian loyalty tests.
Letlow, who entered Congress in 2021 after her husband’s death, has been embraced by the state’s conservative power structure, including Governor Jeff Landry and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Her campaign has drawn support from rural northern parishes and the New Orleans area, reflecting the GOP’s ability to mobilize reactionary sentiment across diverse regions. At an online rally, Letlow declared, "We have a chance to send a clear message that Louisiana stands with President Trump. He endorsed me because he knows I will stand with him." This open embrace of Trumpism signals the continued grip of far-right politics on Louisiana’s Republican Party.
Fleming, a founder of the extremist House Freedom Caucus and a former Trump administration official, is also vying to prove his loyalty to the MAGA movement. He told voters, "Nobody has been more loyal to you than me," referencing a recent conversation with Trump, further illustrating the race to the bottom in Republican politics, where fealty to Trump outweighs policy or principle.
Political analysts note that Letlow’s campaign is buoyed by a super-PAC that has poured about $4 million into her candidacy since the primary, while both campaigns have spent roughly $1 million on advertising. The runoff will also feature debates over issues such as so-called diversity, equity and inclusion policies, anti-transgender sports legislation, and carbon-capture projects—policies that disproportionately harm marginalized communities and rural voters alike.
The race unfolds in a state where Republicans dominate; Trump won Louisiana by 22 points in the 2024 presidential election, underscoring the uphill battle for progressives. Meanwhile, a separate Democratic primary will determine their Senate nominee, with farmer Jamie Davis and veteran Gary Crockett as the leading contenders, offering a glimmer of hope for those seeking an alternative to the right-wing status quo.