Overview
- Letlow declared her bid at a Baton Rouge breakfast and in a launch video stressing loyalty to the president and a promise not to waver on conservative votes.
- Cassidy said Letlow called to inform him of her decision and vowed to win re-election, a contest sharpened by his 2021 vote to convict the president.
- Senate GOP leaders, including John Thune, are backing Cassidy, with Thune recently campaigning for him after unsuccessfully urging the president to stay neutral.
- Reporting indicates the NRSC is weighing its spending posture as the endorsement reshapes the race, even as Cassidy enters with establishment support.
- Louisiana’s Republican primary is set for May 16 with a June 27 runoff if needed, in a crowded field that includes Treasurer John Fleming and other GOP hopefuls; Cassidy reports about $11 million on hand, while Letlow’s House account had $2.3 million in September.