Embattled Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy maintains a significant cash advantage over his primary challengers as the GOP’s MAGA wing attempts to unseat him over his vote in President Donald Trump’s 2021 impeachment trial.
Cassidy raised $1.6 million in the second quarter, significantly more than donors gave his two self-funding challengers, according to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. Cassidy has been a top target of Trump supporters since he voted to convict the president in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. That impeachment vote enraged many Louisiana Republicans who viewed it as a betrayal to Trump, and has inspired a deep field of candidates attempting to oust him.
State Sen. Blake Miguez – who declared that “Cassidy sucks” in his campaign announcement – raised $800,000 and loaned himself an additional $1 million. The other major candidate, state treasurer John Fleming, raised $121,000 and loaned his campaign $2 million. That loan effectively pads his overall totals without bringing in more money: Fleming first loaned his campaign $2 million at the start of the year, and then last quarter he paid it back while issuing a new one.
Cassidy ended the quarter with $8.7 million cash on hand. Miguez has $1.7 million in cash on hand while Fleming has $2.1 million.
