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● InformationalElections / Campaigns

Letlow, Fleming advance to runoff in Louisiana GOP Senate primary, CBS News projects

Cassidy lost the Republican primary after seeking a third Senate term.

Letlow, Fleming advance to runoff in Louisiana GOP Senate primary, CBS News projects
Image · Yahoo News

SOURCE CHECK

TAP FOR WHY
Host credibilityYahoo News76/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 6, 2026

Credibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

Republished

Republished from CBS News. The relationship between the two publishers has not been determined.

CBS News84/100 HIGH

203 stories · 84–85 · updated Oct 7, 2026

This is CBS News's own score, and this article is credited to CBS News. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.

Yahoo Newsvia CBS News
May 17, 2026
tl;dr

CBS News projected that Julia Letlow and John Fleming advanced to a runoff in Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary, eliminating incumbent Bill Cassidy. Letlow and Fleming are set to face off on June 27.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
Bill Cassidy R · LA · SEN
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting Cassidy in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Cassidy’s record.

● INFORMATIONAL

People in this story

SWIPE →
Bill Cassidy
R · LA · SEN

Louisiana senator defeated in the Republican Senate primary

PRIMARY SUBJECT

Louisiana state treasurer and Republican Senate candidate advancing to the runoff

Fleming's version of this story ↗
Julia Letlow
R · LA-5

Louisiana representative and Republican Senate candidate advancing to the runoff

Letlow's version of this story ↗
Mitt Romney
Former U.S. Senator (R-UT)

Former senator who praised Cassidy after his defeat

Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who endorsed Letlow and commented on the primary result

John Thune
R · SD · SEN

Senate majority leader who supported Cassidy

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
R · Secretary of Health and Human Services

Secretary of Health and Human Services whose leadership Cassidy had criticized

Democratic Senate candidate projected to win her party’s nomination

Democratic Senate candidate who lost the party’s nomination contest

Democratic Senate candidate who lost the party’s nomination contest

Tim Scott
R · SC · SEN

Senator and NRSC leader mentioned in Thune’s remarks

ALSO MENTIONED  Jeff Landry, Louisiana governor who suspended the state’s House primaries; John Bel Edwards, Former Louisiana governor referenced in a candidate’s background

Part of a bigger story

50 OUTLETS
Bill Cassidy Loses Louisiana Republican Senate Primary

Outlets agree that Bill Cassidy lost Louisiana’s Republican Senate primary and that Julia Letlow and John Fleming advanced to a runoff. Left-leaning outlets link the defeat to Cassidy’s breaks with Trump, with one article also relaying his campaign’s claim that changes to the primary process could restrict voting. Center outlets emphasize the result and Trump’s influence, while some also cover Cassidy’s concession or praise from Mitt Romney. Right-leaning outlets tie the loss to Cassidy’s impeachment vote and Trump’s intervention, and some frame it as a rebuke of Cassidy’s opposition to Trump.

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