BATON ROUGE, La. — In the summer of 2021, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy Bill Cassidy did something almost no Republican had the nerve to do: he voted to convict Donald Trump for the role he played in the January 6th riot. Five years later, Cassidy’s still in the Senate and still running for reelection. But this time, he’s surrounded by Republicans who think he betrayed the party. On Saturday, Louisiana Republicans will decide whether to keep him in office or replace him with one of two primary challengers — including a millennial Trump loyalist the former president has endorsed. The outcome could tell us a lot about Trump’s grip on the GOP and what Republican voters actually want from their senators in 2026. It’s the kind of test Cassidy’s old colleagues who voted to convict Trump didn’t have to face. Most of them retired instead. Cassidy’s the only one still standing in the Senate, and his race is the clearest sign yet of whether voters still punish defiance of Trump or if they’ve moved on. ## Two challengers, one message: Cassidy’s out of step with Louisiana Republicans Cassidy’s two primary opponents are running on the same idea: he doesn’t represent Louisiana anymore. One is State Rep. Hunter Greene, a 32-year-old Trump backer who’s made opposition to immigration and abortion his top issues. The other is retired Air Force Col. Eddie Rispone, a Trump donor who lost to Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards in 2019. Both men hammer Cassidy for his 2021 vote to convict Trump. In Breaux Bridge, at the state’s annual crawfish festival, retired deputy sheriff Kevin Dupree summed up the mood among many Republicans. “I’d vote for any of the others,” Dupree said. “Cassidy lost me when he voted to impeach.” That kind of reaction is why Louisiana’s race matters beyond the state’s borders. It’s a bellwether for how much Trump still controls the GOP, even three years after he left office. ## Cassidy’s defense: I voted my conscience, not the polls Cassidy insists his vote was about upholding the Constitution, not about Trump. In a recent interview, he pointed to the evidence presented during Trump’s second impeachment trial — the videos of rioters chanting “Hang Mike Pence,” the texts from allies begging Trump to call off the mob, the hours of testimony about the attack on the Capitol. “I voted to convict because the president incited an insurrection,” Cassidy said. “That’s not a Democratic or Republican issue. It’s an American issue.” But his opponents aren’t buying it. Greene’s campaign has aired ads calling Cassidy a “RINO” — Republican In Name Only — and Rispone’s team has accused him of putting party over people. The attacks have worked. In a March poll by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Cassidy led Greene and Rispone combined by just 4 points. That’s a slim margin for an incumbent senator with Cassidy’s experience. ## Trump’s shadow looms over the race Trump’s endorsement of Greene sent a clear signal. The former president rarely puts his thumb on the scale in primaries unless he’s targeting an incumbent he dislikes. Cassidy isn’t just any Republican — he chairs the Senate Health Committee, a role that gives him real power in Washington. But Trump’s influence in the GOP hasn’t faded, even after his presidency. In Louisiana, like in many red states, Trump’s name still carries weight. Greene’s campaign has leaned into that, branding itself as the “true conservative” choice. Cassidy, meanwhile, has tried to pivot to issues that matter to Louisiana voters: healthcare, flood insurance, and the state’s struggling coastal restoration projects. He’s also pointed to his work on the opioid crisis and his support for veterans. But his opponents aren’t giving him credit. “Bill Cassidy talks about healthcare, but he voted to impeach,” Greene said in a recent debate. “That’s not a healthcare issue. That’s a loyalty issue.” ## What’s at stake beyond Louisiana Louisiana’s primary is more than a local election. It’s a test of whether the GOP has moved on from Trump or if his brand of politics still dominates the party. If Cassidy loses, it could embolden Trump to target other Republicans who’ve crossed him. If he wins, it might show that voters are ready to move past the January 6th drama. Either way, the race reflects a broader tension in the GOP: between the old guard of establishment Republicans and the new wave of Trump-aligned candidates. Cassidy’s survival could mean the party is ready to judge lawmakers on their records, not their loyalty to Trump. His defeat could mean the opposite. For now, Louisiana’s voters will decide. The state’s primary is Saturday, and the outcome could reshape the balance of power in the Senate. It’s the kind of fight that keeps Washington politicians up at night.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: NPR
  • Published: May 16, 2026 at 12:38 UTC
  • Category: World
  • Topics: #npr · #usa · #world-news · #war · #nato · #military

Read the Full Story

This is a curated summary. For the complete article, original data, quotes and full analysis:

Read the full story on NPR →

All reporting rights belong to the respective author(s) at NPR. GlobalBR News summarizes publicly available content to help readers discover the most relevant global news.

Curated by GlobalBR News · May 16, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

Senador que votou pela condenação de Trump enfrenta batalha eleitoral na Louisiana

A eleição primária do Partido Republicano na Louisiana neste sábado promete ser um divisor de águas não apenas para o futuro do senador Bill Cassidy, mas também para o poder de Donald Trump dentro do partido. Cassidy, único republicano do Senado a votar pela condenação do ex-presidente nos dois impeachments, agora disputa a reeleição contra candidatos apoiados diretamente por Trump, que busca consolidar sua influência sobre os candidatos conservadores.

A vitória de Cassidy na última eleição em 2014 já havia sido um marco, mas sua decisão de romper com Trump após os ataques ao Capitólio em 2021 o deixou em uma posição delicada. A Louisiana, um estado fortemente conservador, tradicionalmente apoia líderes alinhados à base trumpista, o que torna a campanha acirrada. Seus adversários, como o procurador geral Jeff Landry, não poupam críticas ao senador, usando o voto pela condenação como argumento central para mobilizar o eleitorado mais radical.

O resultado da votação poderá sinalizar se o partido republicano ainda está disposto a abraçar candidatos que, mesmo dentro da legenda, ousam desafiar a hegemonia de Trump — ou se o ex-presidente mantém seu controle absoluto sobre a base conservadora rumo à eleição de 2024.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

La senadora republicana Bill Cassidy, uno de los siete miembros del partido que votó a favor de condenar a Donald Trump por su papel en el asalto al Capitolio, afronta este sábado unas primarias clave en Luisiana donde su rival, respaldado por el expresidente, amenaza con arrebatarle el puesto. La batalla electoral se ha convertido en un termómetro del poder que aún conserva Trump dentro del Partido Republicano, un año después de su segundo impeachment.

La reelección de Cassidy no solo refleja la influencia persistente del magnate en las bases conservadoras, sino que también subraya las divisiones internas del GOP entre una ala tradicional que apuesta por figuras como él y los fieles a la agenda más radical de Trump. Para los votantes hispanos, este escenario pone en evidencia cómo el trumpismo sigue moldeando las prioridades del partido, desde políticas migratorias hasta el enfoque en temas como la economía y la seguridad, temas que podrían afectar directamente a sus comunidades.