NEW: Two-Term GOP Senator Announces Re-Election Campaign

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) announced Saturday that he will officially be seeking a third term in the U.S. Senate after months of speculation.

Cassidy, who has drawn a number of primary challengers, confirmed that he will be running for re-election while addressing supporters on Saturday. “Louisiana and our country face serious challenges,” the senator said in prepared remarks.

”I’m running for reelection to work with the people of Louisiana and my fellow Americans to not just face these challenges, but to make our state and our country even greater,”

The moderate senator has attempted to make amends with President Donald Trump in recent years and months after he became one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict the president in his 2021 Senate impeachment trial after the January  6 Capitol protests. Cassidy has since had a much better relationship with the president, however, as he recently joined Trump at the White House for the signing of the HALT Fentanyl Act.

A medical doctor, Cassidy has long been one of the most active lawmakers in terms of addressing the opioid crisis. The recently-signed legislation will dramatically increase penalties for drug traffickers, permanently ban substances used in making the deadly drug and more.

“President Trump signed my HALT Fentanyl Act into law – giving law enforcement the tools they need to stop it,” Cassidy said after the bill was signed into law. “Proud to work with President Trump to deliver another major win for America.” 

Cassidy faces a number of challengers in what could be a volatile primary campaign, including Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming and state Sen. Blake Miguez, some of whom have sharply criticized Cassidy for his vote to convict Trump in 2021.

Unlike in previous cycles where Senate candidates would compete in a “jungle” primary, Louisiana Senate candidates this year will run in separate primary contests corresponding to their political party. The “jungle” primary system makes it easier for more moderate candidates to emerge victorious, though the switch to closed primaries could make Cassidy’s path to re-election more difficult.