Trump Endorsement Rocks Louisiana Senate Race As Letlow Jumps In

Three days after President Donald J. Trump upended Louisiana’s Senate race with a decisive endorsement, Republican Rep. Julia Letlow officially launched her campaign—setting up a high-stakes primary showdown that threatens the political future of incumbent GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy.

Republican sources told Fox News that Letlow announced her candidacy Tuesday morning during a private business breakfast in Baton Rouge. Shortly afterward, she released a social media post and campaign video making clear she is running as a Trump-aligned conservative.

“Louisiana deserves a conservative Senator who will not waver. I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust,” Letlow said.

President Trump’s backing of Letlow represents a major blow to Cassidy, a physician and chairman of the influential Senate Health Committee who is seeking a third six-year term in a state that overwhelmingly supports Trump and conservative priorities.

Letlow was first elected to Congress in 2021 following the death of her husband, Luke Letlow, who passed away from COVID just days before he was set to take office. Her rapid rise and strong ties to Trump’s political movement have made her a formidable challenger.

Cassidy acknowledged Letlow’s entry into the race in a public statement, attempting to strike a respectful tone.

“Congresswoman Letlow called me this morning to say she was running. She said she respected me and that I had done a good job,” Cassidy said. “I will continue to do a good job when I win re-election. I am a conservative who wakes up every morning thinking about how to make Louisiana and the United States a better place to live.”

Trump’s endorsement has also complicated matters for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who has thrown his support behind Cassidy and campaigned with him in Louisiana just last week.

The political earthquake began Saturday night, when President Trump took to social media and publicly encouraged Letlow to enter the race.

“Should she decide to enter this RACE,” Trump wrote, “Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!”

Letlow soon signaled her intent, posting on X:

“My mission is clear: to ensure the nation our children inherit is safer and stronger. This United States Senate seat belongs to the people of Louisiana, because we deserve conservative leadership that will not waver.”

For months, speculation had swirled about a potential Letlow Senate run. One Republican source told Fox News that Letlow had made it clear she would not challenge Cassidy without Trump’s blessing—a condition now firmly met.

Another GOP source said President Trump personally called Thune on Friday to inform him of the endorsement before it became public.

Despite the shift in momentum, Thune continues to back Cassidy, who also retains the support of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the official campaign arm of Senate Republicans.

The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF)—the largest super PAC aligned with Senate GOP leadership—announced it will stay out of the Louisiana primary.

“The mission of the Senate Leadership Fund is to preserve and expand the Republican Senate majority. Anything that distracts from our efforts to beat Democrats in November is unhelpful,” SLF Executive Director Alex Latchum said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Punchbowl News first reported that SLF would not intervene in the race.

Cassidy, 68, reaffirmed over the weekend that he has no plans to exit the contest.

“I’m proudly running for re-election as a principled conservative who gets things done for the people of Louisiana,” Cassidy wrote on social media following Trump’s endorsement of Letlow. “If Congresswoman Letlow decides to run, I am confident I will win.”

Financially, Cassidy currently holds an advantage, reporting nearly $10 million in campaign funds at the end of October. Letlow reported approximately $2.3 million in cash on hand. However, with President Trump’s endorsement now official, political observers expect Letlow’s fundraising to surge rapidly.

Cassidy’s vulnerability stems in part from his record. He voted to convict Trump during the Senate impeachment trial following the January 6, 2021 Capitol unrest. While Cassidy later supported Trump-backed cabinet nominees—including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health Secretary—many grassroots conservatives have not forgotten his impeachment vote.

With Trump firmly behind Letlow, Louisiana’s GOP primary is shaping up to be a defining battle between establishment Republican leadership and the America First movement.