Julia Letlow, Lifted by Trump, Wins Republican Senate Runoff in Louisiana

Representative Julia Letlow rode President Trump’s endorsement to victory in a Republican primary runoff election in Louisiana on Saturday, according to The Associated Press, taking a major step toward replacing Senator Bill Cassidy.Ms.Letlow’s win over State Treasurer John Fleming, a hard-right former congressman, came a month after the two contenders advanced past Mr.

Cassidy, a second-term Republican who was targeted by Mr.Trump for defeat.She enters the general election race as a heavy favorite in deep-red Louisiana, which has not been represented by a Democrat in the Senate in more than a decade.

If Ms.Letlow reaches the Senate, she would become the first Republican woman to represent Louisiana in the chamber.Jamie Davis, a Louisiana farmer who tends to some of the same land his grandfather worked as a sharecropper, won the Democratic runoff, according to The A.P., and will be his party’s nominee.The outcome of the Republican race is welcome news for Mr.

Trump, whose endorsement remains a coveted prize in G.O.P.contests, even after he had some recent losses in primaries for governor in Iowa and Georgia.

Seeking to oust Mr.Cassidy after he voted to convict Mr.

Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, the president had urged Ms.Letlow to challenge the sitting senator.

In January, he wrote on social media: “RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!”She led comfortably in the first round of voting on May 16, finishing about 20 points ahead of Mr.Cassidy and about 17 points in front of Mr.

Fleming.But she did not secure the majority of the vote needed to avoid a runoff.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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