Politics

Letlow launches Trump-backed Senate bid against Cassidy

Published

3 months ago

January 20, 2026

Rep. Julia Letlow announced her primary challenge to Sen. Bill Cassidy on Tuesday, just days after President Donald Trump lent his endorsement in the race.

The entrance of Letlow, a Republican who has served in Congress since 2021, is a major blow to Cassidy, who was already fending off another MAGA-aligned challenger in a state Trump carried by 22 points in 2024.

“My parents taught me well. They taught me that when the lord opens a door, you don’t walk through it—you run. It’s an honor to share with you today that I’m officially announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Letlow said at an event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Trump upended the primary in the Republican state over the weekend when he preemptively endorsed Letlow. “Should she decide to enter this Race, Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Letlow said that she was “honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust,” but did not immediately launch her bid after receiving the president’s public backing.

Cassidy, seeking a third term in the Senate, has drawn criticism from Trump after voting to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He has also clashed with the administration at times on health care, though he was a key vote to confirm Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last year.

While Cassidy has maintained he will win, Trump’s endorsement of Letlow is a serious blow to his chances. Cassidy has told fellow GOP senators that top White House officials promised him they would stay neutral in the race, as POLITICO reported in September.

Trump’s endorsement — and Letlow’s entrance into the race — also adds a new complication for Senate GOP leadership, which has backed Cassidy. Majority Leader John Thune campaigned in Louisiana with Cassidy last week.

Politics

Roy Cooper far outraises Michael Whatley in North Carolina Senate race

Published

34 minutes ago

April 15, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

In North Carolina, former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper continues to far outraise Republican Michael Whatley, growing a massive cash disparity in one of the most closely watched Senate races this year.

Cooper raised $13.8 million to Whatley’s $5 million in the first quarter of the year, according to disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission. That encompasses both the run-up to and aftermath of their effectively uncontested primaries in early March.

Cooper entered the second quarter with $18.5 million in cash on hand, while Whatley reported having more than $2.5 million in the bank.

North Carolina is a top target for Democrats. Cooper, the swing state’s most recent governor, draws on his broad name ID to pull in a sizable fundraising haul. Most polling shows him with a double-digit lead over Whatley.

National Republicans are planning to give Whatley, the former RNC chair, a major boost. Senate Leadership Fund has pledged $71 million to the Senate race.