The 2026 United States Senate election in Louisiana will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Louisiana. A runoff election will be held on December 12, 2026 if no candidate wins a majority. Party primary elections will be held on May 16, 2026 with a runoff on June 27 if no candidate wins a majority in the primary. Incumbent Republican senator Bill Cassidy, who was re-elected in 2020, is running for re-election to a third term. Cassidy's vote to convict Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial has led to primary challenges against him.
Following the enactment of House Bill 17 in 2024, this will be the first U.S. Senate election in Louisiana to utilize party primaries instead of a single blanket primary since 2010. Louisiana has been represented in the U.S. Senate exclusively by Republicans since 2015, and Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate election there since 2008.
In January 2024, governor Jeff Landry signed House Bill 17, sponsored by representative Julie Emerson, which eliminated the top-two Louisiana primary system in favor of partisan primaries in elections for Congress, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Public Service Commission, and the Supreme Court. Unaffiliated voters may vote in the primaries, but not members of other parties, including the Independent Party of Louisiana. The bill also indicated the use of runoff elections if no candidate receives a majority in their respective primary. The law is to take effect beginning with the 2026 elections, making this election the first in which Louisiana will elect a U.S. senator using this system since 2010; the top-two primary was first implemented in congressional elections in 1978.
Senator Bill Cassidy, who has held this seat since 2015, has gained notoriety within the Republican Party for his vocal criticism of President Donald Trump. Cassidy denounced the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack, accused participants of sedition, and voted to certify the 2020 election results. He was one of seven Senate Republicans to vote to convict Trump for incitement of insurrection during his second impeachment, prompting the Republican Party of Louisiana to censure him. During TrumpâÂÂs 2024 campaign, Cassidy publicly opposed his candidacy, citing TrumpâÂÂs four criminal indictments.
CassidyâÂÂs stance has led analysts to view him as vulnerable to a right-wing primary challenge. Early speculation included Congressman Clay Higgins, a Trump supporter, who ultimately declined to run. On January 18, 2026, Trump endorsed Julia Letlow, who officially entered the race two days later.
Italics indicated a withdrew or declined candidate.
Aggregate polls<br />
Italics indicated a withdrew or declined candidate.
Official campaign websites