Republican senator who voted to convict Trump battles for re-election

Republican senator who voted to convict Trump battles for re-election12 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleGrace Eliza GoodwinGetty Images, Louisiana Department of Treasury, Getty ImagesRepublican Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to convict the president at his 2021 impeachment trial, is fighting for political survival as he faces a Trump-backed challenger in Saturday's primary election.President Donald Trump has thrown his full support behind Congresswoman Julia Letlow in Louisiana's high-stakes contest, branding the incumbent senator a "disloyal disaster". Most polls suggest Cassidy is trailing Letlow and state treasurer John Fleming, another Trump-aligned candidate, in the race. The primary is the latest test of Trump's ability to punish Republicans who break with him. If none of the candidates wins a simple majority, the top two will head to a runoff at the end of June.Cassidy, 68, was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump when the president was impeached after the 6 January attack on the Capitol in 2021. Trump was acquitted after the Senate voted 57-43, short of the two-thirds majority required. Of the seven Republicans who voted to convict him, only three still serve in the Senate: Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who survived a primary challenge in 2022; Susan Collins of Maine; and Bill Cassidy.During his re-election campaign, the Louisiana senator sought to repair his strained relationship with Trump."I don't really think President Trump likes me that much, but we work really well together," he told reporters last week, pointing to several bills he sponsored that were later signed into law by the president.Despite Cassidy's attempts to emphasise his alignment with Trump, the president in January encouraged US Representative Julia Letlow, 45, to challenge the senator.Just as polls opened in Louisiana on Saturday morning, the president took another swing at Cassidy, and re-upped his support f...