Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming (R) will challenge Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) in the 2026 Louisiana Senate race, he announced Wednesday, after initially signaling last month he was likely to mount a bid.
Fleming argued in a statement that the state deserved “a true conservative voice in this seat in the United States Senate” and knocked Cassidy as someone who “has failed the people of Louisiana.”
The state treasurer took issue with Cassidy’s record, including his vote to convict President-elect Trump in 2021 and for his “support of some of the key elements of the progressive agenda of the Biden/Harris administration,” such as the bipartisan gun safety bill and the bipartisan infrastructure bill. A total of 15 Senate Republicans voted for the gun safety law, while 19 Senate GOP members voted for the infrastructure legislation.
He also implied the Louisiana senator took the political expedient position when it came to immigration.
“I cannot fully express the deep sense of pride I have, having served President Trump in the West Wing of the White House as he was literally fighting for his political life against those who were attacking him and turning their backs on him, but the opportunity to stand with him for the principles of America First is why I seek to serve the citizens of Louisiana in the United States Senate,” he explained.
A Cassidy campaign spokesman hit back at Fleming’s criticisms, suggesting the Trump team passed on offering him a job in the administration.
“I thought he wanted to be State Treasurer? John Fleming wants to get out of Louisiana. He publicly said he wanted a job in the Trump administration, and apparently they didn’t want him,” the spokesman said. “So after less than a year as State Treasurer, he’s looking for another job to return to Washington. Again, I thought he wanted to be State Treasure, but apparently not.”
Fleming is the first major candidate to challenge Cassidy, a two-term senator. Cassidy isn’t up until 2026, yet Fleming’s announcement shows Republicans are willing and ready to wade in immediately into the race.
Cassidy’s vote to convict Trump in 2021 and his past criticism of the president-elect pose a real issue for the senator, given the state’s ruby red political leanings. Other candidates are mulling a bid, such as Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta (R), while Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) invited speculation into a possible challenge last month.
But Cassidy has sought to project a positive tone toward the president, saying in a statement in June, “I was elected to work for Louisiana and the United States of America. I commit to working with President Trump if he is the next president — and it appears he is going to be — to make things better for all.”
Cassidy has also offered positive remarks about some of Trump’s nominee picks and has suggested he’s open to recess appointments if Democrats play hardball.
Fleming is considered a formidable candidate. He’s won statewide in Louisiana, and he’s also served in the first Trump administration in two departmental appointments, then as a White House aide — raising questions over whether the president-elect or those in his orbit get involved in the primary.
Still, Cassidy is not without resources and the benefit of incumbency. His latest federal campaign filing showed he had nearly $6 million in the bank. Multiple contenders could also benefit the senator, splintering off the anti-Cassidy vote.
