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Elections in Louisiana |
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The 2026 United States Senate election in Louisiana will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Louisiana. Incumbent Republican senator Bill Cassidy, who was re-elected in 2020, is running for re-election to a third term. Cassidy's vote to convict Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial has led to primary challenges against him. [1]
Following the enactment of House Bill 17 in 2024, this will be the first U.S. Senate election in Louisiana to utilize party primaries instead of a single blanket primary since 2010. [2] [3]
In January 2024, governor Jeff Landry signed House Bill 17, sponsored by representative Julie Emerson, which eliminated the top-two Louisiana primary system in favor of partisan primaries in elections for Congress, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Public Service Commission, and the Supreme Court. Unaffiliated voters may vote in the primaries, but not members of other parties, including the Independent Party of Louisiana. The bill also indicated the use of runoff elections if no candidate receives a majority in their respective primary. The law is to take effect beginning with the 2026 elections, making this election the first in which Louisiana will elect a U.S. senator using this system since 2010; the top-two primary was first implemented in congressional elections in 1978. [2]
Senator Bill Cassidy, who has held this seat since 2015, has gained significant notoriety within the Republican Party for being a vocal critic of president Donald Trump. He denounced the storming of the U.S. Capitol and accused the participants of sedition, while voting to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Trump and his supporters have attempted to overturn. [4] Cassidy was one of seven Senate Republicans to later vote to convict Trump of incitement of insurrection during his second impeachment trial, for which the Republican Party of Louisiana publicly censured him. [5] Additionally, during Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, Cassidy made numerous public statements denouncing his candidacy and calling for his withdrawal, particularly in reference to Trump's four criminal indictments. [6] [7]
Cassidy's outspoken opposition to President Trump and his policies has led political analysts to believe him vulnerable to a primary challenge from the right wing of the party. Early speculation of potential candidates included Clay Higgins, a Congressman and law enforcement officer who has gained popularity among Republicans for his support of Trump. [3] However, Higgins ultimately chose not to run. [8]
Local officials
Individuals
U.S. representatives
State legislators
Campaign finance reports as of June 30, 2025 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
Bill Cassidy (R) | $9,287,220 | $2,185,574 | $8,739,323 |
John Fleming (R) | $4,416,119 | $2,273,540 | $2,142,652 |
Chris Holder (R) | $7,600 | $3,500 | $4,100 |
Blake Miguez (R) | $1,821,573 | $78,986 | $1,742,587 |
Sammy Wyatt (R) | $132,956 | $110,739 | $22,217 |
Source: Federal Election Commission [25] |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [a] | Margin of error | Bill Cassidy | John Fleming | Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ragnar Research [26] [A] | April 14–16, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 45% | 18% | 3% [b] | 34% |
JMC Analytics & Polling [27] [B] | February 24–26, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 27% | 40% | – | 33% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [a] | Margin of error | Bill Cassidy | John Fleming | Blake Miguez | Eric Skrmetta | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JMC Analytics & Polling [27] [B] | February 24–26, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 27% | 29% | 6% | 2% | 36% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [a] | Margin of error | Bill Cassidy | Clay Higgins | John Fleming | Julia Letlow | Blake Miguez | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trafalgar Group (R) [28] [C] | March 6–10, 2025 | 1,068 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 24% | 31% | 17% | 20% | 4% | 4% |
33% | – | – | 55% | – | 12% | ||||
28% | 39% | 25% | – | 3% | 5% | ||||
28% | 42% | 25% | – | – | 5% | ||||
32% | 61% | – | – | – | 7% | ||||
34% | – | 51% | – | – | 15% | ||||
37% | – | – | – | 42% | 21% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size [a] | Margin of error | Bill Cassidy | Clay Higgins | John Fleming | Garret Graves | Eric Skrmetta | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trafalgar Group (R) [28] [C] | August 12–14, 2024 | 1,062 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 27% | 36% | 12% | 23% | 2% | – |
36% | 44% | 16% | – | 4% | – | ||||
– | 45% | 22% | 29% | 4% | – | ||||
41% | – | – | 59% | – | – | ||||
43% | 57% | – | – | – | – | ||||
– | 56% | – | 44% | – | – | ||||
48% | – | 52% | – | – | – |
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
Inside Elections [31] | Solid R | Feb 20, 2025 |
The Cook Political Report [32] | Solid R | Feb 13, 2025 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball [33] | Safe R | Mar 12, 2025 |
Race To The WH [34] | Safe R | Apr 27, 2025 |
Official campaign websites