Congresswoman Julia Letlow has won the GOP runoff in Louisiana after an overwhelming sweep of the early and absentee vote and low voter turnout on election day kept former Congressman and current State Treasurer John Fleming from keeping up.
Decision Desk HQ projects Julia Letlow wins the Louisiana US Senate Republican Runoff#DecisionMade: 9:40 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/gQJGzMjn5e
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 28, 2026
Letlow, who was backed by President Donald Trump, Governor Jeff Landry, and a host of other political figures in the state, is the likely next Senator from Louisiana, replacing Bill Cassidy, who came in third in the party primary back in May.
READ MORE: Louisiana Voters Just Ended Bill Cassidy’s Senate Career After Two Terms and One Key Vote
Letlow swept the early and absentee vote in a race that is likely to land in the mid-teens in terms of turnout. Early projections suggested 14-17% of Louisiana voters would vote in this election, with those projections based on much lower early voting turnout. Bad weather in some parts of the state kept turnout low, while in other parts of the state multiple reports indicated voters simply weren’t showing up.
The president’s endorsement of Letlow played a big role in her early lead. She came out of the primary with a 17-point lead over Fleming. Polling leading up to Saturday’s vote was mixed, with some polls suggesting Fleming was within striking distance. With 50% of the vote in, however, she had a 10-point advantage over Fleming with seemingly no path to close the gap.
Newcomer Jamie Davis handily took the Democrat Party runoff and will head to November to meet Letlow in a general election. But the path for him is possibly worse than Fleming’s. Louisiana is a deep red state and is unlikely to elect a Democrat statewide, though the party did come together to back him quickly. Davis has run on his background as a black farmer and businessman, as well as being a gun owner, to bring the party together. But the path to victory is seemingly impossible.
Letlow’s win does show there is strength in the Trump endorsement still, but it also shows tremendous power in Governor Jeff Landry’s political machine. Landry reportedly convinced the president to endorse Letlow before she even announced, and Landry’s allied PACs did the bulk of the heavy lifting in attacking Fleming.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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