U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, a Republican endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has won the Louisiana Senate runoff election, defeating Treasurer John Fleming, the Associated Press projected Saturday evening. Letlow secured approximately 55% of the vote compared to Fleming's 45%, with 39% of the expected vote counted.
Letlow's victory extends Trump's success rate with endorsements in the current midterm cycle. In the initial Republican primary on May 16, Letlow led with about 45% of the vote, ahead of Fleming's 28%. Incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, who had served two terms, did not advance, receiving about 25% of the vote. Trump had publicly urged voters to oppose Cassidy following his vote to convict the former president after the Jan. 6 insurrection and a separate vote to curb presidential war powers.
Letlow first entered politics in 2021, winning a special election for Louisiana's 5th Congressional District after her husband, the district's elected representative, died of COVID-19 complications before taking office.
Fleming, a physician and former congressman who held positions in Trump's administration, ran a campaign emphasizing his alignment with the former president, despite not securing an official endorsement. He described his relationship with Trump as "warm."
Some political analysts suggested that Cassidy's elimination from the ballot might have decreased voter turnout for the runoff, as a significant portion of voters in the primary had focused on ousting the incumbent senator.
Trump supported Letlow through social media posts and a tele-rally held on Thursday, as early voting commenced.
The runoff campaign saw some heated exchanges. Fleming criticized what he termed "dark money" and a barrage of attack ads targeting him, particularly on immigration, even as he advocated for stronger border security. Fleming also characterized Letlow as "liberal," pointing to her past comments supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives during a 2020 university presidential interview. Letlow stated during a debate that the "left completely hijacked DEI" and that she had "spent the last five years in Congress working against it."
Letlow is now set to face Democrat Jamie Davis in the general election in November. Davis, a farmer supported by New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, won his own runoff race against Gary Crockett with approximately 79% of the vote.