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BATON ROUGE, La. -- Louisiana authorities Sen. Blake Miguez officially launched his bid connected Tuesday to unseat chap Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy successful 2026.
Miguez is the latest GOP challenger to Cassidy, who has been chastised by his enactment for being 1 of seven GOP senators who voted to convict President Donald Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial.
“Phony politicians similar Bill Cassidy can't sprout straight," Miguez, 43, says successful a video connected societal media to denote his campaign.
In the video, Miguez, a champion competitory sharpshooter, shows disconnected his skills — utilizing assorted firearms and, literally, aiming astatine targets brandishing words similar “Marxism,” “food dyes” and “crime.”
Miguez served successful the authorities House for much than 8 years and was elected to the Senate successful 2023. A staunch advocator for the Second Amendment, Miguez has sponsored gun-related bills, including a measurement that allows residents, 18 and older, to carry concealed handguns without a permit. Over the past year, helium has besides authored authorities that immunodeficiency successful national crackdowns of immigration enforcement.
In the Statehouse, Miguez has demonstrated a confrontational attack during measure debates — a maneuver that was evident successful his run announcement.
“I’m moving due to the fact that the American Dream is worthy warring for -- and DC phonies hide that. Bill Cassidy betrayed our state, our President, and our principles,” Miguez posted connected X.
Cassidy, who is successful his 2nd term, is up for reelection successful reliably reddish Louisiana, wherever residents overwhelmingly supported Trump successful the past 3 statesmanlike elections.
While Cassidy, 67, won his past reelection handily, helium has not been connected the ballot since his arguable ballot to convict Trump implicit the riot astatine the U.S. Capitol connected Jan. 6, 2021. Cassidy's ballot resulted successful the lawmaker being trashed connected societal media and censured by Louisiana Republicans.
Recent actions by Cassidy suggest he's moving to mend ties with Trump loyalists. He has emphasized his committedness to enactment with the president to beforehand his docket and showed enactment for galore of Trump’s furniture appointments.
Most notably, successful February Cassidy joined Republicans connected the Senate Finance Committee to beforehand Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s information arsenic caput of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Cassidy presently has a important fundraising advantage, with much than $7.4 cardinal successful his run relationship astatine the extremity of the archetypal quarter. But successful the eyes of some, Cassidy's past actions marque him vulnerable.
In summation to Miguez, Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, who served successful Trump’s archetypal administration, has announced that helium volition tally for the Senate seat. The 73-year-old has besides lambasted Cassidy.
Republican U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow is besides rumored to beryllium considering running against Cassidy.
A large alteration successful the upcoming predetermination is Louisiana's new closed primaries.
Until the caller strategy was adopted this year, legislature candidates from each parties seeking the aforesaid bureau ran connected the aforesaid ballot careless of enactment affiliation. In the state’s unsocial “jungle primary," voters could take immoderate candidate, adjacent if they bash not align with the voters’ registered party. If a campaigner earned much than 50% of the full ballot past they would triumph the bureau outright. If nary 1 reached the threshold, the apical 2 finishers would look each different successful a runoff.
Under the caller superior system, lone voters who are registered Republicans volition beryllium capable to enactment successful the GOP Senate primary. The effect is seen arsenic a imaginable situation for Cassidy, who had benefited from the less-partisan quality of the aged system.
The predetermination volition instrumentality spot November 3, 2026.
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