Republican Senator Bill Cassidy lost the Louisiana GOP primary on May 16, finishing third behind Trump-backed Julia Letlow and John Fleming and failing to advance to the runoff [1, 2, 3, 4]. Cassidy sought a third term but faced heavy criticism from former President Donald Trump after voting to convict him in the 2021 impeachment trial. Trump endorsed Letlow, who won about 44.8% of the vote to Fleming's 28.3%, while Cassidy took roughly 25% [1, 2, 3, 4]. Cassidy said, "Insults only bother me if they come from somebody of character and integrity. Our country is not about one individual. It is about the welfare of all Americans, and it is about the constitution" [4]. Letlow thanked Trump, calling him "the best president this country has ever had" [4]. Letlow and Fleming will face off in a runoff scheduled for late June [1, 3, 4].
In Kentucky, Representative Thomas Massie lost his Republican primary on May 19 to Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein with 45% to 55% of the vote [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and farmer, ran a well-funded campaign including support from pro-Israel groups opposed to Massie's criticism of unconditional Israel support and opposition to Trump policies [6, 7, 10, 9]. The race was the most expensive House primary in U.S. history, with over $32 million spent on advertising [6, 7, 10, 9]. Massie voted against Trump-backed tax and spending bills and criticized U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Iran. He also pushed to release Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein [11, 5, 6, 8, 10]. Massie said, "There is a yearning in this country for somebody who will vote for principles over party. If the legislative branch always votes whichever way the wind is blowing, then we have mob rule" [7]. Trump called Massie "the worst Congressman in the long and storied history of the Republican Party" and urged voters to "Vote him out of office tomorrow, Tuesday. It will be a great day for America!" [9].
Trump has conducted a "revenge tour" targeting Republican incumbents who broke with him, with Cassidy’s loss in Louisiana and several other GOP defeats in Indiana part of the wave [1, 5, 2, 6, 7, 4, 8]. The runoff election between Letlow and Fleming in Louisiana is scheduled for late June 2026 [1, 3, 4].
