Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2026, against Bill Cassidy during an exclusive interview with WDSU. Fleming is a military veteran, a former naval officer, a family physician, a former Congressman for the 4th Congressional District from 2009-2017. He also served as Senior Advisor to President Donald Trump before being elected as Louisiana State Treasurer in 2023. "Louisiana deserves a true conservative voice in this seat in the United States Seante, and as someone who stands with President Trump and understands the challenges and opportunities facing our people, I am ready to deliver the conservative leadership Louisiana needs to thrive and prosper," Fleming said. Fleming also said he's focused on addressing the national debt and wants to aggressively control federal spending. Senator Bill Cassidy's office issued the following statement in response to Fleming's announcement:“I thought he wanted to be State Treasurer? John Fleming wants to get out of Louisiana. He publicly said he wanted a job in the Trump administration, and apparently, they didn’t want him. So after less than a year as State Treasurer, he’s looking for another job to return to Washington. Again, I thought he wanted to be State Treasure, but apparently not."Cassidy's campaign issued a new statement on Thursday: “This week, Senator Cassidy met with President Trump’s VA nominee, secured tax relief for the victims of natural disasters in Louisiana and elsewhere, passed bills to reduce maternal mortality and to make it easier to donate to Veterans organizations, pushed Chuck Schumer to hold a vote to repeal WEP and GPO, and continues to work on important legislation. The time will come to focus on the campaign, and when that happens, he will see who is still in the race.” Fleming responded to Cassidy's statements: "After spending a year campaigning for reelection in 2020, invoking President Trump’s name in every campaign commercial, Bill Cassidy ran back to the Senate to cast a vote convicting President Trump, in a failed attempt by Cassidy and the Democrats to destroy President Trump’s reputation. It failed, and everyone in Louisiana got to see Bill Cassidy’s true colors! Bill Cassidy failed President-elect so badly, the President called Cassidy a “lamebrain” and Cassidy continued attacking President Trump well into 2024, and even refused to endorse the President-Elect."Bill Cassidy left Louisiana for Washington, DC's social and cultural circles and to become part of the regulatory, spend-a-rama, pro-open borders crowd. I don’t want to leave Louisiana. I want Louisiana values in Washington, DC, and Louisiana common sense in the United States Senate. Bill Cassidy represents neither. I look forward to a vigorous debate over the next year, because I make no apologies about serving President Trump as Senior Advisor in the White House during the toughest political times."I will serve Louisiana the same way in the United States Senate will fight to put America and Louisiana first."John Fleming also discussed the Treasury Department and other fiscal matters of the state in our full hot seat interview, which will air Sunday at 10 p.m. on WDSU News.
BATON ROUGE, La. —
Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2026, against Bill Cassidy during an exclusive interview with WDSU.
Fleming is a military veteran, a former naval officer, a family physician, a former Congressman for the 4th Congressional District from 2009-2017. He also served as Senior Advisor to President Donald Trump before being elected as Louisiana State Treasurer in 2023.
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"Louisiana deserves a true conservative voice in this seat in the United States Seante, and as someone who stands with President Trump and understands the challenges and opportunities facing our people, I am ready to deliver the conservative leadership Louisiana needs to thrive and prosper," Fleming said.
Fleming also said he's focused on addressing the national debt and wants to aggressively control federal spending.
Senator Bill Cassidy's office issued the following statement in response to Fleming's announcement:
“I thought he wanted to be State Treasurer? John Fleming wants to get out of Louisiana. He publicly said he wanted a job in the Trump administration, and apparently, they didn’t want him. So after less than a year as State Treasurer, he’s looking for another job to return to Washington. Again, I thought he wanted to be State Treasure, but apparently not."
Cassidy's campaign issued a new statement on Thursday:
“This week, Senator Cassidy met with President Trump’s VA nominee, secured tax relief for the victims of natural disasters in Louisiana and elsewhere, passed bills to reduce maternal mortality and to make it easier to donate to Veterans organizations, pushed Chuck Schumer to hold a vote to repeal WEP and GPO, and continues to work on important legislation. The time will come to focus on the campaign, and when that happens, he will see who is still in the race.”
Fleming responded to Cassidy's statements:
"After spending a year campaigning for reelection in 2020, invoking President Trump’s name in every campaign commercial, Bill Cassidy ran back to the Senate to cast a vote convicting President Trump, in a failed attempt by Cassidy and the Democrats to destroy President Trump’s reputation. It failed, and everyone in Louisiana got to see Bill Cassidy’s true colors! Bill Cassidy failed President-elect so badly, the President called Cassidy a “lamebrain” and Cassidy continued attacking President Trump well into 2024, and even refused to endorse the President-Elect.
"Bill Cassidy left Louisiana for Washington, DC's social and cultural circles and to become part of the regulatory, spend-a-rama, pro-open borders crowd. I don’t want to leave Louisiana. I want Louisiana values in Washington, DC, and Louisiana common sense in the United States Senate. Bill Cassidy represents neither. I look forward to a vigorous debate over the next year, because I make no apologies about serving President Trump as Senior Advisor in the White House during the toughest political times.
"I will serve Louisiana the same way in the United States Senate will fight to put America and Louisiana first."
John Fleming also discussed the Treasury Department and other fiscal matters of the state in our full hot seat interview, which will air Sunday at 10 p.m. on WDSU News.
