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President Donald Trump’s endorsement continues to be the difference-maker in GOP midterm primaries, as evidenced by another win by a Senate candidate he backed in Louisiana. Rep. Julia Letlow defeated state Treasurer John Fleming in a bid to replace incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, who came in third to those candidates earlier this spring. After trouncing Cassidy, who drew Trump’s ire for voting to convict him following his second impeachment over the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol Building in January 2021, Letlow and Fleming advanced to a run-off election. While Trump endorsed Letlow, he also acknowledged that Fleming was a good candidate as well. “Great News!!! Julia Letlow WON in Louisiana, beating conclusively a very strong and smart opponent. Congratulations to Julia. She will be a truly GREAT Senator!” he wrote on his Truth Social page. Noted Fox News: “Her victory in the runoff is seen as another victory for Trump as he works to fill the halls of Congress with loyal lawmakers for his final two years in the White House. And it’s another sign of the power of a Trump endorsement in Republican primaries.” Trump took a potshot at Cassidy on social media, writing that “it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” During his concession speech, Cassidy – who has already begun to vote against Trump and MAGA interests since losing – took the opportunity to criticize the president. “When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to,” he said. “But you don’t pout, you don’t whine. You don’t claim the election was stolen… You don’t manufacture some excuse,” he added. Letlow, who received the endorsement of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was first elected to Congress in 2021 after her husband, Luke Letlow, died from COVID-19 complications just days before he was scheduled to be sworn in following his victory in the 2020 election. During her Senate campaign, she frequently highlighted Trump’s support for her candidacy. Fleming, a former congressman who later served as a White House deputy chief of staff during Trump’s first administration, campaigned as the most conservative candidate in the Republican Senate primary, emphasizing his record on conservative policy issues. Letlow will enter the general election as the clear frontrunner in deep red Louisiana. She is expected to face either farmer Jamie Davis or Navy veteran Gary Crockett, who advanced to the Democratic runoff for the Senate nomination. Trump’s endorsements have played a significant role in Republican primaries over the past several months, with many of his preferred candidates defeating rivals in high-profile contests across states including Indiana, Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana. However, the president’s recent endorsement record was interrupted earlier this month in Iowa, where his late endorsement of Rep. Randy Feenstra in the race to succeed retiring Gov. Kim Reynolds was not enough to secure victory. Feenstra narrowly lost the Republican primary to businessman and farmer Zach Lahn, a former political strategist who was backed by organizations aligned with the Make America Healthy Again movement championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as Turning Point USA. Trump’s endorsement record quickly returned to form in South Carolina, where Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, backed by the president, finished first in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Sen. Lindsey Graham, another Trump-endorsed candidate, also secured a majority of the vote in the GOP Senate primary, avoiding a runoff. Graham faced five Republican challengers, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who criticized the senator over his support for U.S. military action involving Iran. Lynch received backing from several MAGA-aligned figures who have also been critical of Trump. Two weeks later, Trump-backed candidates prevailed in two of the three highest-profile Republican contests in Georgia and Alabama. The lone exception came in a race won by a billionaire businessman who spent more than $100 million of his own money on his campaign.

- by Jason Drack - Leave a Comment

President Donald Trump’s endorsement continues to be the difference-maker in GOP midterm primaries, as evidenced by another win by a Senate candidate he backed in Louisiana. Rep. Julia Letlow defeated …

President Donald Trump’s endorsement continues to be the difference-maker in GOP midterm primaries, as evidenced by another win by a Senate candidate he backed in Louisiana. Rep. Julia Letlow defeated state Treasurer John Fleming in a bid to replace incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, who came in third to those candidates earlier this spring. After trouncing Cassidy, who drew Trump’s ire for voting to convict him following his second impeachment over the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol Building in January 2021, Letlow and Fleming advanced to a run-off election. While Trump endorsed Letlow, he also acknowledged that Fleming was a good candidate as well. “Great News!!! Julia Letlow WON in Louisiana, beating conclusively a very strong and smart opponent. Congratulations to Julia. She will be a truly GREAT Senator!” he wrote on his Truth Social page. Noted Fox News: “Her victory in the runoff is seen as another victory for Trump as he works to fill the halls of Congress with loyal lawmakers for his final two years in the White House. And it’s another sign of the power of a Trump endorsement in Republican primaries.” Trump took a potshot at Cassidy on social media, writing that “it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” During his concession speech, Cassidy – who has already begun to vote against Trump and MAGA interests since losing – took the opportunity to criticize the president. “When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to,” he said. “But you don’t pout, you don’t whine. You don’t claim the election was stolen… You don’t manufacture some excuse,” he added. Letlow, who received the endorsement of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was first elected to Congress in 2021 after her husband, Luke Letlow, died from COVID-19 complications just days before he was scheduled to be sworn in following his victory in the 2020 election. During her Senate campaign, she frequently highlighted Trump’s support for her candidacy. Fleming, a former congressman who later served as a White House deputy chief of staff during Trump’s first administration, campaigned as the most conservative candidate in the Republican Senate primary, emphasizing his record on conservative policy issues. Letlow will enter the general election as the clear frontrunner in deep red Louisiana. She is expected to face either farmer Jamie Davis or Navy veteran Gary Crockett, who advanced to the Democratic runoff for the Senate nomination. Trump’s endorsements have played a significant role in Republican primaries over the past several months, with many of his preferred candidates defeating rivals in high-profile contests across states including Indiana, Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana. However, the president’s recent endorsement record was interrupted earlier this month in Iowa, where his late endorsement of Rep. Randy Feenstra in the race to succeed retiring Gov. Kim Reynolds was not enough to secure victory. Feenstra narrowly lost the Republican primary to businessman and farmer Zach Lahn, a former political strategist who was backed by organizations aligned with the Make America Healthy Again movement championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as Turning Point USA. Trump’s endorsement record quickly returned to form in South Carolina, where Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, backed by the president, finished first in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Sen. Lindsey Graham, another Trump-endorsed candidate, also secured a majority of the vote in the GOP Senate primary, avoiding a runoff. Graham faced five Republican challengers, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who criticized the senator over his support for U.S. military action involving Iran. Lynch received backing from several MAGA-aligned figures who have also been critical of Trump. Two weeks later, Trump-backed candidates prevailed in two of the three highest-profile Republican contests in Georgia and Alabama. The lone exception came in a race won by a billionaire businessman who spent more than $100 million of his own money on his campaign. Read More