Bill Cassidy loses Louisiana GOP primary, finishes third

politicsMay 17, 2026221,399

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana finished a distant third in the state Republican primary for U.S. Senate and is eliminated from the race. The leading vote‑getter was the candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump but received under 50 percent, sending the contest to a runoff between the top two candidates. Cassidy’s 2021 vote to convict Trump during the impeachment trial and Trump’s profanity‑laced attacks calling him a "sleazebag, terrible guy, disloyal disaster" were prominent issues in the campaign. The result matters because it shows weakened GOP support for senators WHO break with Trump and sets up a runoff that will determine WHO faces the general election and could affect Senate margins.

Kyle Griffin

@kylegriffin1.bsky.social

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy just lost his Republican primary, the AP projects.

6873h ago

mrfphd.bsky.social53

Never should have confirmed RFK.

dromanma1018.bsky.social34

Can’t stand him for what he did, but this isn’t good. The person to replace him will be markedly worse and shows cult is alive and well in Louisiana. Not surprising but still not good.

Sloan Ashton11

Excuse me as I laugh for a few minutes…

ohmsparty.bsky.social8

They always learn too late that no matter how much you debase yourself, you can never satisfy Trump.

NotReallyHere6

I always get this guy confused with that other asshole Louisiana senator Kennedy. Wish he was out too.

500 days of solitude5

I think Bill will be remembered as someone with a spine like a slinky. Yeah he kinda has one but it bends in all kinds of weird ways.

DonnaH4

Though I despise the fact that Maga is controlling this, he deserves to lose. All Republicans who confirmed the most horrendous cabinet needed to reap what they've done & realize they were USED.

Doug3

That's a shame. Wasn't maga enough. Bummer.

Pragmatic Sliver3

Louisiana is a lost cause for Democrats. They should have some serious discussions with him, cut some deals, give him space to take a more moderate path, back off, and let Cassidy run as an independent. That would be the chess move to oppose the Republicans as they play tiddly-winks.

Mack Guthrie3

I disagree with Cassidy on many issues, but this is bad news for public health. Cassidy is rightfully criticized for his vote in favor of RFK Jr., but he has also blocked Trump’s original picks for surgeon general and CDC. No matter who wins the runoff, he will be replaced by a MAGA yes-man.

M4tk Ⓥ 🐈🐱😼2

Can we hope that since he'll be out of a job that he'll find a spine till next year?

Bright Bart2

Leopard eats face, well deserved since he gave us RFK Jr. Maybe get some measles and crawl into a black hole.

bgwitt311.bsky.social2

Sit on the middle of the tracks, get hit by a train

Renee DiResta

@noupside.bsky.social

Sen Bill Cassidy, the main reason we have RFK Jr, lost his primary. No tears for him. And yet, LA is going to get someone worse.

GOP senator who voted to convict Trump in impeachment trial loses primary
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana failed to make the runoff in his GOP Senate primary five years after his vote to convict Donald Trump, which led the president to call for his ouster.

3273h ago

Jeanie4

Julia Letlow is my rep. She is a spineless MAGA sycophant. We need to put Jamie Davis in office and flip that seat.

NOLA JT3

This is the correct take. I refused to help save him, but acknowledge that the alternatives will be worse. That said, all their votes will be the same so 🤷‍♂️

Gabrielle A. Perry, MPH

@geauxgabrielle.blacksky.app

FUCK BILL CASSIDY. WE DID IT, LOUISIANA!!!! WE DID IT!!!

BUSINESS INSIDER
Maternal death rate isn't as bad if you don't count Black women,
GOP senator says

1513h ago

Joey Blue

@jp262.bsky.social

One of the last “moderate” and “rational” Republicans just lost his primary. Doesn’t break my heart. He not only helped RFK Jr ascend to the top Health position in the country, but he also (in)famously said if you “correct” the maternal mortality rate for black women, LA is actually not too bad! 🤦🏻‍♂️

NBC News article: Sen. Bill Cassidy loses Louisiana GOP primary.

623h ago

Joey Blue32

Fvck this guy. He sold his soul helping the shirtless jeans guy take over public “health,” and the fact he wanted to remove Black women from maternal mortality stats tells you everything you need to know about this prick. www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/05...

Ebony Noor! I love garden season! ✊🏿

@darlingebony.bsky.social

Bill Cassidy is how we got RFK, Jr. Now we have to look forward to a more terrible MAGA politician. Unless...The Dems actually spend money in Louisiana, mobilize and support the Dem nominee.

183h ago

The War Monitor

@warmonitor.net

Bill Cassidy has lost his Republican primary after failing to make the runoff in Louisiana.

213h ago

Jake Tapper, long-suffering Philly sports fan

@jaketapper.bsky.social

Sen. Bill Cassidy will lose reelection bid as Julia Letlow and John Fleming advance to Louisiana Senate runoff, CNN projects www.cnn.com/2026/05/16/p...

193h ago

Ben Abrahamse2

the revolution eats its own

Jamie Dupree

@jamiedupree.bsky.social

Sen. Bill Cassidy R-LA has been defeated in Louisiana, failing to get into the runoff for GOP Senate. President Trump endorsed Rep. Julia Letlow R-LA, who will face Louisiana state Treasurer John Fleming

173h ago

Dan Gillick

@dan6065.bsky.social

He deserves it! Instead of going down swinging, he played footsie with crazy RFK, Jr. to try to keep his seat. Louisiana is a lost cause anyway; fuck Bill Cassidy and have a nice retirement.

184h ago

jaimi.bsky.social

@jaimi.bsky.social

He, like fellow Louisiana Republicans Johnson, Scalise, Kennedy and Landry, took laundered Kremlin money passed through American Ethane—whose CEO John Houghtaling II is a local lawyer with a wife from Kaliningrad…

Mother Jones

During its four-year investigation, the FEC found that the funds initially put up by Abromovich and other Russian nationals were then funneled to Republicans in Louisiana:
Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, a political action committee run by Kennedy, a leadership fund run by House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, a PAC backing Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, and the campaigns of Reps. Mike Johnson and Garrett Graves. Other contributions went to state lawmakers. The report didn't explain why the company focused on Louisiana but the state is home to many natural gas firms, and its lawmakers advocate for the industry.

83h ago

Decision Desk HQ

@decisiondeskhq.bsky.social

DDHQ Race Update (est. 80% in): Louisiana US Senate Republican Primary Julia Letlow (R): 127,493 (44.8%) John Fleming (R): 80,259 (28.2%) Bill Cassidy (R): 70,758 (24.9%) Follow more results here: votes.decisiondeskhq.com/races/243606

84h ago

I’m Just Sayin’

@im-just-sayin.bsky.social

Fuck Bill Cassidy. I plan to forget his name as soon as humanly possible. The real question: Who are the Dems running in Louisiana? Does this put the state in play at all for Dems?

133h ago

subablitch.bsky.social4

No. And so we will get someone who is objectively more populist and rightwing than Cassidy voting in the Senate. There are no wins here; just schadenfreude.

Mike Walker

@newnarrative.bsky.social

Breaking: Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict President Donald Trump on impeachment charges in 2021, has lost his Republican primary in Louisiana, as two challengers aligned with Trump advanced to a runoff. www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...

63h ago

VoteHub

@votehub.com

Louisiana GOP U.S. Senate Primary 48% in per AP: 🔴 Julia Letlow – 66,426 (43.2%) 🔴 John Fleming – 42,662 (29.0%) 🔴 Bill Cassidy – 37,682 (25.6%)

74h ago

Timothy McBride

@mcbridetd.bsky.social

BREAKING: Sen. Bill Cassidy loses GOP primary in Louisiana, as two rivals advance to a runoff www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...

43h ago

2 sources

aol.comTrump rants about Republican enemy Bill Cassidy before Louisiana election loss: ‘Sleazebag, terrible guy, disloyal disaster’ - AOL cbsnews.comLetlow, Fleming advance to runoff in Louisiana GOP Senate primary, CBS News projects

Bill Cassidy loses Louisiana GOP primary, finishes thirdpolitics

Bill Cassidy loses Louisiana GOP primary, finishes third

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