Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary is shaping into a test of whether President Donald Trump’s endorsement still decides elections or whether candidates can survive by borrowing the Trump agenda without his political backing.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) faces two challengers in the May 26 primary, with the possibility of a June 27 runoff if no candidate wins at least 50%: Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) and state Treasurer John Fleming.
Previously a staunch ally of Trump, Cassidy’s relationship with the president has run hot and cold for the last five-plus years.
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Cassidy, a gastroenterologist often referred to as Dr. Cassidy around Capitol Hill, has been a senator since 2015, after six years in the House. Cassidy, 68, worked closely with Trump during the president’s first, nonconsecutive term, particularly on the GOP’s failed repeal of Obamacare. Trump endorsed Cassidy’s American Health Care Act of 2017, which failed to receive a floor vote.
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