In a significant political triumph, Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow, who carries an endorsement from former President Trump, emerged victorious over State Treasurer John Fleming in the Senate Republican primary runoff on Saturday. This win underscores the former president’s continued influence within the party’s election outcomes.
Letlow is now poised to be the Republican contender in the upcoming November elections, having secured over 55% of the vote. Meanwhile, Fleming gathered 45%, with just 41% of the vote having been tabulated.
Letlow received Trump’s endorsement in January, ahead of the May primary. She initially was elected to office in 2021 to succeed her late husband, Luke, who passed away due to COVID-19 complications. Her campaign effectively unseated incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy in a competitive three-way race.
More recently, her matchup against Fleming became increasingly competitive, as suggested by a series of polls conducted this month after Letlow led in the primary election.
On the Democratic side, Jamie Davis clinched his party’s nomination convincingly, obtaining more than 78% of the votes. His rival, Gary Crockett, trailed significantly with just 21% of the vote.
The president had a series of clashes with Cassidy, who voted to impeach him in 2021 after the Jan. 5 Capitol riot on “incitement of insurrection,” although Cassidy also provided a critical vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary.
Trump repeatedly blasted his “disloyalty” and declared his career “OVER.”
The tension lingered after Cassidy’s defeat, and the two got into a shouting match in a closed Senate luncheon last week when 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.
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.