I’ve been in Republican politics for a long time. I’ve seen good candidates rise, and I’ve seen bad ones drag their party down. And I’ll tell you this: Sen. Bill Cassidy is pushing Republicans in Louisiana straight towards an electoral disaster next November.
The numbers don’t lie. In a recent poll, just 22 percent of GOP primary voters think Senator Cassidy deserves another term. Two-thirds are ready to move on. And when voters are reminded that he joined with Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Bernie Sanders in voting to impeach President Donald Trump for absolutely nothing, his support drops into the basement. That’s not just a problem – that’s a five-alarm fire for a Republican in a deep-red state.
To make matters worse for Cassidy, 2026 marks the first election cycle in which Louisiana will use a closed party primary system to choose members of Congress. This means only registered Republicans are allowed to vote in the Republican primary, making it that much more difficult for non-conservative candidates to prevail. In Louisiana congressional primaries going forward, if one candidate doesn’t receive over 50 percent of the vote, a run-off election will be held between the top two vote getters.
It’s no secret Bill Cassidy broke faith with his supporters. He campaigned for re-election in 2020 talking about how President Trump delivered historic victories for conservatives. Weeks later, he sided with radical Democrats when it mattered most. That’s not leadership – that’s betrayal. And Louisiana Republicans know it. Some “experts” in Washington shrug and say, “Don’t worry, Louisiana is a safe seat.” I’ve been around long enough to know that’s exactly how you let a seat slip away you should win convincingly. Safe seats are only safe if you keep promises and respect your voters. And Cassidy doesn’t do either.
Don’t be fooled by the senator’s recent attempts to rewrite history and claim he’s a true MAGA supporter. The reality is that he betrayed President Trump with his impeachment vote, joined the liberal media in attacking the president afterwards, then turned around and enabled Joe Biden’s and Kamala Harris’ reckless spending policies, only returning to the MAGA movement after it became likely Trump was going to win the 2024 election.
Louisiana is a conservative state. Faith, family, and freedom aren’t just words down there – in fact, it’s a way of life. Voters expect their leaders to fight for oil and gas jobs, defend the Second Amendment, and protect the unborn. It’s clear Bill Cassidy can’t be trusted because he’s shown he’ll sell out his base when the pressure is on. Folks know by now that he’s only truly loyal to powerbrokers in the failed Washington establishment.
Here’s the danger: Senate Minority Leader Schumer and the Democrats smell blood in the water. Former Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has already won statewide twice. Democrats dream of falsely marketing him as a “reasonable” choice while Republicans tear themselves apart. If radical leftists are given an opening because GOP leaders decide to stick with a weak, fair-weather incumbent like Cassidy, we’re asking for trouble. If you don’t think it can happen in Louisiana – just remember what Doug Jones did in Alabama.
I don’t say this lightly – Bill Cassidy will have a difficult time winning a general election against a well-funded opponent. No amount of money or slick advertising will change this. Louisiana Republicans are ready to move on. And the longer the GOP establishment pretends otherwise, the more we risk turning a safe Senate seat into a competitive race. Worse still, another Democrat vote for Chuck Schumer threatens to derail the entire agenda of President Trump’s second term.
The solution is obvious. Louisianans deserve a senator who cares more about them than gaining the approval of the biased mainstream media and tone-deaf D.C. uni-party. Someone who understands that meeting voters is far more important than cozying up to liberals on NBC News’ “Meet The Press.” If three-term Congresswoman Julia Letlow were to enter the race – a conservative pro-Trump superstar in the making – it would solidify the base, energize MAGA-fueled voters, entice non-traditional Republican voters of all stripes to consider supporting her candidacy, and essentially put the race away for the GOP.
The clock is ticking. The GOP must stop pretending Sen. Cassidy is the answer and start rallying behind a 100 percent Trump-America First conservative who can win and be trusted. Louisiana is one of the reddest states in the country – this should be a safe Senate seat that Republicans easily hold. But if Republicans choose to gamble on Cassidy, we could lose it – and the country can’t afford that disaster. Not in 2026. And certainly not with the Senate majority and President Trump’s America First agenda on the line. That’s the truth. No sugarcoating. No spin. Bill Cassidy is finished with Republican voters in Louisiana. The GOP must face that reality and move on.
David N. Bossie is president of Citizens United. He served as deputy campaign manager for Donald J. Trump for President in 2016.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr)
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
