Jim Beam column: Election looks like barn burner
Published 7:22 am Saturday, February 14, 2026
Some Republican candidates in Louisiana’s first closed congressional primaries are going after their challengers early.
A super PAC supporting Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s pursuit of a third six-year term on May 16 launched a TV ad earlier this month that slammed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, who is one of Cassidy’s challengers who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
The Advocate said the ad called her “liberal Letlow,” and accused her of voting with President Joe Biden more than any of the other four Republican members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation.
The newspaper said Letlow responded with her strongest card.
“I am so proud to have earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump, and now I’ll continue fighting alongside him to secure our borders and to continue to grow our economy,” Letlow posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Letlow added, “Well, it didn’t take long for Bill Cassidy and his never-Trumper, pro-impeachment allies to begin attacking me.”
The Advocate Friday said Cassidy’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He qualified later on Friday.
State Treasurer John Fleming also had strong words for Cassidy and Letlow, his two main Republican opponents in this year’s Senate race, according to The Advocate.
Fleming said Cassidy flip-flops on key issues, while Letlow only got into the race because she received Trump’s endorsement.
Fleming described the contest as being between “two liberal Republican candidates” in Cassidy and Letlow, both R-Baton Rouge, and himself, “the only true conservative in this race.”
He also said Trump’s endorsement of Letlow is a “scheme” of Gov. Jeff Landry aimed at eventually benefiting the governor’s future political aspirations.
Landry later fired back, saying “anyone who makes stuff up like that may not be fit for office.”
Three different polls reported by The Advocate show Cassidy trailing in head-to-head races against Letlow and Fleming. A poll by New Orleans pollster Greg Rigamer showed Letlow leading the field with 27%, followed by Cassidy with 21%, and Fleming with 14%.
The Rigamer poll found that only 22% of Republican primary voters believe Cassidy deserves reelection, while 63% favored giving someone else a chance.
Head-to-head in a Republican runoff, Letlow led Cassidy, 57% to 22%. Fleming led Cassidy, 45% to 28%
The Cassidy campaign, however, said its polling showed him with 32% of the Republican primary vote, followed by Letlow with 21%, and Fleming 16%. But the Cassidy campaign acknowledged that its own poll showed Letlow leading him by six points in a two-person race, 46% to 40%.
The campaign also said Cassidy led Letlow 69% to 22% once voters “were informed” of the records of Cassidy and Letlow.
A poll taken for Fleming showed him soundly defeating Cassidy in a head-to-head election, 44% to 26%.
Seven Republicans and three Democrats have filed for the 5th Congressional District seat currently held by Letlow.
State Sens. Rick Edmonds of Central and Blake Miguez of Erath and state Rep. Michael Echols of Monroe are three of the better known Republicans who entered the race. They aren’t going to forget to let voters know they are avid Trump supporters.
Edmonds said, “I’m in this race to fight for the soul of America. I echo the words of President Trump: ‘Fight, fight, fight.’ ”
Miguez said, “I will never waver my support for President Trump’s MAGA agenda.”
The other candidates criticized Miguez for not living in the district.
Edmonds, in what may have been directed to Miguez, said he would fight for the 5th District, a place that he said he knows “not from a distance” but “up close and personal.”
In answer to a question, Edmonds said, “Sen. Miguez lives closer to Beaumont than Baton Rouge.”
Echols said, “People want someone that understands the needs of that district. Those that are just office-shoppers need to stay where they are.”
The Advocate said the “office-shopper” Echols referred to is Miguez.
We can only guess what comes next in this already wild campaign.
Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at jim.beam.press@gmail.com.
