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Bill Cassidy Defeats Mary Landrieu In La. Senate Runoff

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., hugs supporters after conceding defeat in her Senate runoff election against Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Saturday.
Gerald Herbert
/
AP
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., hugs supporters after conceding defeat in her Senate runoff election against Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Saturday.

Republican congressman Bill Cassidy has defeated Democratic incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu in Louisiana's runoff Senate election, boosting the Republican majority in the incoming Senate.

NPR's Debbie Elliott reported Friday that Cassidy, who has pledged to repeal Obamacare, followed a campaign strategy of linking Landrieu to Obama, highlighting her support of the unpopular president.

Landrieu, meanwhile, faced funding challenges. "With the midterm elections settled elsewhere, and control of Capitol Hill solidified for the GOP, Mary Landrieu has been left largely to fend for herself," Elliott reports. "National Democratic groups have pulled spending for the Louisiana runoff."

Landrieu was the last remaining Democratic senator from the Deep South.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Camila Flamiano Domonoske covers cars, energy and the future of mobility for NPR's Business Desk.

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