{"id":2411566,"date":"2025-03-09T06:15:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-09T10:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-cassidy-challenger-sees-opening-to-topple-the-incumbent-senator-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-03-09T06:16:01","modified_gmt":"2025-03-09T10:16:01","slug":"bill-cassidy-challenger-sees-opening-to-topple-the-incumbent-senator-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-cassidy-challenger-sees-opening-to-topple-the-incumbent-senator-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Bill Cassidy challenger sees opening to topple the incumbent senator &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbill-cassidy-challenger-sees-opening-to-topple-the-incumbent-senator-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2411566&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>John Fleming, the Louisiana State Treasurer, is optimistic about \u200dhis campaign to unseat incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy in the upcoming GOP \u200bprimary, fueled \u200cby new voting rules that could benefit\u200d Fleming&#8217;s chances. Cassidy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/minneapolis-teachers-go-on-strike-for-pay-increases-more-educators-of-color\/\" title=\"Minneapolis Teachers Go On Strike For Pay Increases, More \u2018Educators Of Color\u2019\">facing challenges due<\/a> to his past vote to convict former President Donald Trump on impeachment charges, may struggle with\u2063 a\u2063 revived MAGA base that has\u200d become critical of him. <\/p>\n<p>The new \u2062primary process allows\u200c only Republicans and unaffiliated voters to participate, which could hinder Cassidy&#8217;s reelection efforts. Polls show Cassidy holding a 69% approval rating among\u2064 Louisiana Republicans, but his support is weaker among more conservative factions, raising concerns about \u2062his viability. \u2063Fleming&#8217;s internal polling\u200d indicates a competitive race: he garners 40% support when compared directly to Cassidy, who holds 27%.<\/p>\n<p>Despite Cassidy&#8217;s considerable campaign funds\u2014over $6.5 million\u2014Fleming is securing financial support and plans to invest his\u200c own money\u200b into the race.\u2064 Other possible challengers may enter as well, but Fleming currently stands as \u200dthe primary candidate opposing Cassidy. As the political landscape evolves, both candidates will need to navigate their respective challenges to secure a place in the race for \u2064the Senate.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Bill Cassidy challenger sees path to topple senator with Louisiana voting changes<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1993243\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>More than one year before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/louisiana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Louisiana<\/a> GOP voters decide who should be their senator, John Fleming feels good about his prospects of beating out Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bill-cassidy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Bill Cassidy<\/a> (R-LA), thanks in part to new voting rules.<\/p>\n<p>The Louisiana State Treasurer, who announced a Senate run in December, hopes that Cassidy&rsquo;s vulnerability among a reinvigorated MAGA base will propel him to be the state&rsquo;s next senator. A former House lawmaker, Fleming was also a founding member of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus. <\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3340075\/democrats-eye-republican-success-social-media-messaging\/\">Democrats eye Republicans&#8217; success with social media to transform messaging<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3339935\/house-democrats-latino-heavy-districts-2026-frontline-list\/\">House Democrats&#8217; campaign arm adds Latino-heavy districts to 2026 &#8216;Frontline&#8217; list<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3337628\/democrats-defend-trump-address-outbursts-gop-weighs-penalties\/\">Democrats defend their Trump address outbursts as GOP weighs penalties<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Cassidy incurred the wrath of President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Donald Trump<\/a> in 2021 when he voted to convict Trump on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ken-paxton-impeachment-investigation-expands-into-attorney-generals-real-estate-spending\/\" title=\"Ken Paxton impeachment investigation expands into attorney general&#039;s real estate spending\">impeachment charges related<\/a> to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3338459\/trump-lawyer-todd-blanche-confirmed-deputy-attorney-general-doj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">TRUMP LAWYER TODD BLANCHE CONFIRMED AS NO. 2 LEADER AT DOJ<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But it was his waffling on whether to support now Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, whom he ultimately supported, that Fleming said will likely help him unseat Cassidy.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Louisianaians are really very skeptical (of Cassidy),&rdquo; said Fleming in an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;He was the last holdout all the way to the end, and they feel very angry that he should have gotten on board immediately. So, to hold out to the very end and leave it in question &hellip; actually hurts. He actually loses points.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Louisiana will operate under a new primary process next year, moving away from its jungle primary system where all candidates competed and if no candidate won the majority, then the top two candidates advanced to the general election runoff.<\/p>\n<p>Now only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Republicans<\/a> or unaffiliated voters will be allowed to participate in the GOP primary and if no candidate wins the majority, the race is forced into a runoff.<\/p>\n<p>The new system could make it harder for Cassidy to win reelection as he seeks to rebuild his reputation with the GOP.<\/p>\n<p>John Couvillon, a Louisiana-based pollster, claimed that with the new primary system, Cassidy will no longer face 100% of voters next year but instead 57% of the electorate, which could make his reelection path harder.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When I went back in time and looked at party primaries that we had for a brief period of time in 2008 and 2010 here in Louisiana, turnout was abysmally low,&rdquo; said Couvillon, who polled for Fleming. &ldquo;As in, we&rsquo;re talking in the 10 to 30% range. So when you&rsquo;re talking about a primary electorate that I could see being in the 10 to 30% of 57%, you&rsquo;re talking about a tiny sliver of voters who are going to determine Sen. Cassidy&rsquo;s future.&rdquo;<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/pro.morningconsult.com\/analysis\/bill-cassidy-louisiana-republicans-approval-rating\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Morning Consult poll <\/a>from January showed Cassidy with a 69% approval rating among home-state Republicans. But only 27% of Republicans and 22% of self-described conservatives &ldquo;strongly approve&rdquo; of Cassidy&rsquo;s job performance, a warning sign ahead of next year&rsquo;s primary. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Voters sent me to Washington to fight for conservative solutions on issues like flood insurance and health care,&rdquo; Cassidy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.billcassidy.com\/post\/poll-cassidy-earns-69-approval-rating-among-louisiana-republicans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">in a statement<\/a> at the time.&nbsp;&ldquo;Louisianans know I get stuff done. Good policy makes good politics.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Political pundits in Louisiana, and generally, people in Louisiana, are calling BS on his favorability,&rdquo; Fleming said, dismissing the Morning Consult poll.<\/p>\n<p>Fleming claims he wants to earn Trump&rsquo;s endorsement for the Senate race but the president has yet to weigh in. Trump supported Fleming during his run for state treasurer in 2023 and backed Cassidy&rsquo;s 2020 reelection campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Besides Fleming, no other Cassidy challenger has emerged yet, and no Democrat has entered the race yet in the comfortably red Bayou State.<\/p>\n<p>But there are other potential Republicans who could enter the race, including state Sen. Blake Miguez, Eric Skrmetta, a Louisiana Public Service Commission member, and Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA).<\/p>\n<p>Fleming&rsquo;s internal polling shows him in a close race against the incumbent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">senator<\/a>. When asked which GOP candidate they would support for the Senate, Fleming pulled 29% among likely Republican primary voters, Cassidy garnered 27% support, 36% said undecided, 6% chose Miguez, and Skrmetta pulled 2% support. (Higgins was not an option for voters to choose).<\/p>\n<p>When the poll asked voters to choose just between the declared candidates Fleming, Cassidy, and undecided, the state treasurer pulled 40% while the senator garnered 27% and 33% chose undecided.<\/p>\n<p>The poll of 600 likely Republican voters was conducted Feb. 24-26 with a margin of error of plus or minus four percent.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When I see an incumbent U.S. senator who is not attaining 30% of the vote, that&rsquo;s a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">big red flag<\/a> to me,&rdquo; said Couvillon, who conducted Fleming&rsquo;s survey.<\/p>\n<p>But Cassidy still has advantages that can&rsquo;t be dismissed. <\/p>\n<p>In January, Cassidy had more than $6.5 million cash on hand after the fourth quarter of 2024 up from $5.8 million at the end of the third quarter.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The people of Louisiana want someone who will fight for them as I have in the Senate,&rdquo; said Cassidy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.billcassidy.com\/post\/cassidy-s-cash-on-hand-tops-6-5-million-after-strong-fourth-quarter-haul\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">at the time<\/a>. &ldquo;I am grateful for the financial support Louisianans have shown me. I&rsquo;m ready to get to work over the next four years.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Fleming told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> he had around $150,000 cash on hand. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;But we have pledges of that much more and then I&rsquo;m gonna plop a million dollars of my own money,&rdquo; Fleming added.<\/p>\n<p>As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,&nbsp;Cassidy can champion his efforts to bring funds to the Bayou State. Cassidy voted to confirm all of Trump&rsquo;s Cabinet members, holding off further MAGA anger. <\/p>\n<p>Despite his status as a swing vote for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Tulsi-Gabbard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Tulsi Gabbard<\/a>&lsquo;s nomination to be director of national intelligence, Cassidy ultimately fell in line with the GOP and confirmed her nomination.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;President Trump chose Tulsi Gabbard to be his point person on foreign intelligence,&rdquo; Cassidy said in a statement at the time. &ldquo;I will trust President Trump on this decision and vote for her confirmation.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>Fleming ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2016. In his current bid for the upper chamber, his campaign reported nearly $530,000 in debt during the fourth quarter. <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/daily-memo\/3339291\/hunter-biden-business-goes-bust-book-art-sales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FOR HUNTER, THE BIDEN BUSINESS GOES BUST<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Cassidy&rsquo;s campaign did not appear to take Fleming&rsquo;s comments about his financing seriously. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He came in 5th place last time he ran for Senate in 2016, currently has $530k in campaign debt, and only raised $6k since he announced,&rdquo; a Cassidy campaign spokesman told the <em>Washington Examiner,<\/em> dismissing Fleming as a real challenger.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1993243\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1993243\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Fleming believes he can defeat Sen. Bill Cassidy due to new voting rules in Louisiana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2658,"featured_media":2411567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1ae2ea84d39a15acbcbb6f8bbd27bc1d-1024x746.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[51812,5496,3728,4012,32076],"class_list":["post-2411566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-bill-cassidy","tag-challenger","tag-election","tag-senator","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1ae2ea84d39a15acbcbb6f8bbd27bc1d-1024x746.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2658"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2411566"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2411570,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411566\/revisions\/2411570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2411567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2411566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2411566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2411566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}