Rep. Julia Letlow’s challenge to Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana’s GOP primary has the map shaping up to be a little like 2010, when three sitting senators lost their primaries.
This year, Cassidy is one of three senators facing major primary challengers. The group includes Sen. Ed Markey, who faces a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton in Massachusetts’ Democratic primary, and Sen. John Cornyn, who is battling state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt in the Texas Republican primary.
It’s been a while — nine years — since an incumbent senator lost a primary: Appointed Sen. Luther Strange lost in Alabama in 2017 and Sen. Dick Lugar lost the nomination in Indiana in 2012.
Both parties’ campaign arms are lining up for their incumbents: Trump is supporting Letlow, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee and GOP leaders are behind both Cassidy and Cornyn (Trump is neutral in Texas), while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is backing Markey.