Senate race turns nasty as Republicans target incumbent Bill Cassidy, who opponent says 'sucks'
Louisiana's 2026 U.S. Senate race is heating up with MAGA state lawmaker Blake Miguez joining the campaign by saying fellow Republican incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy "sucks."
Miguez, a state senator from New Iberia, joins Republican state Treasurer John Fleming in targeting Cassidy, with both saying Cassidy committed an unforgivable political sin with his vote to convict President Donald Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial.
They will compete next April in the state's first closed primary elections in decades.
"I'm running for the U.S. Senate because Bill Cassidy sucks," Miguez said in an opening video announcing his candidacy.
During a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Cassidy said he expects a flurry of attacks as the incumbent.
"The more the merrier," Cassidy said about Miguez's entrance in the race. "It won't be the last attack ad."
Cassidy said his voting record "has closely aligned" with Trump despite his 2021 vote to convict during the president's impeachment trial.
Cassidy took credit for shepherding two of Trump's most controversial cabinet nominees — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — through confirmation.
"(Trump) has got two cabinet secretaries he would not have unless I'd gotten them approved," said Cassidy, who has a massive $7.5 million campaign war chest to defend his seat.
Miguez touts himself as the "MAGA choice," though Fleming said he was an architect of MAGA who was appointed by the president to three positions during Trump's first term.
"Anybody who voted to impeach or convict Trump in a red state will all be gone when their terms are up," Fleming said in an interview with USA Today.
More: Louisiana treasurer accuses Gov. Jeff Landry of Senate election scheme involving Julia Letlow
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Senate race turns nasty as Republican opponent says Bill Cassidy 'sucks'
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