Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana was eliminated in his party’s Senate primary on Saturday, ending his bid for a third term after two challengers finished ahead of him.
With most of the vote counted, Representative Julia Letlow led with about 44 per cent, followed by State Treasurer John Fleming at roughly 28 per cent and Mr Cassidy at about 25 per cent. Ms Letlow and Mr Fleming advance to a runoff on June 27.
The result was a defeat for Mr Cassidy, a physician first elected to the Senate in 2014, who had drawn the lasting opposition of President Donald Trump after voting to convict him at his second impeachment trial.
Mr Trump endorsed Ms Letlow, who represents Louisiana’s 5th district in the House. Governor Jeff Landry also backed her, and earlier signed legislation that replaced the state’s all-party “jungle” primary with a traditional party contest, a change widely seen as disadvantaging Mr Cassidy.
Mr Fleming, a former congressman and longtime figure in Louisiana politics, has sought to present himself as the more reliably pro-Trump candidate. Ms Letlow’s campaign and an allied group have in turn labelled him a “Never Trumper”.
Mr Cassidy had argued that the late changes to the election rules caused confusion and disenfranchised voters. His defeat removes one of the few remaining Senate Republicans who broke with Mr Trump over the events of January 6, 2021.
The runoff will determine the Republican nominee in a reliably Republican state, making the June contest the effective decider for the seat.