NEW ORLEANS — Bill Cassidy will represent Louisiana in the Senate for a second term, after coming out above 50% in a closer-than-expected race against a Democratic mayor.
The sitting senator is projected to stay above the 50% threshold needed to prevent a runoff election, with early returns showing him collecting 64% of the vote.
Cassidy technically beat 14 challengers for his Senate seat, but the only major obstacle he faced was Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins.
Perkins, who is Black and a Democrat, ran against the sitting senator on a platform pushing for a change in priorities in Washington.
Perkins, a Harvard grad and an Army veteran, became the youngest mayor in Shreveport's history in 2018 -- his first foray into politics at 33.
Cassidy has made a name for himself in Washington for two points: his staunch support of conservative values in the Republican platform, and the way he speaks.
His southern drawl and over-the-top expressions make him a regularly quoted source in D.C. political news stories.
The limited polling done in the race showed Perkins relatively close to Cassidy ahead of the election, with other contenders trailing behind. That polling led to some speculation that there would be a December runoff if no candidate won over 50% of the election day vote.
Cassidy would have been a favorite to win the runoff.
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