U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — An intra-party battle is brewing among Louisiana Republicans ahead of the 2026 U.S. Senate race. The first skirmish is playing out over Washington Mardi Gras ball tickets.
State Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs, says his tickets to the ball were revoked after he privately expressed support for state Sen. Blake Miguez, R-Lafayette, who is considering challenging U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy in the 2026 election.
Wilder said he had already arrived in D.C. for the event when he received an email from a member of Cassidy’s congressional staff informing him he would receive a refund for his tickets.
“I think it’s petty,” Wilder said in an interview. “This is supposed to be an event celebrating Louisiana, and now we have a distraction.”
In an interview at the Washington Hilton, where the annual week-long political bash is held, Cassidy denied revoking the tickets. As one of the senators for Louisiana, Cassidy is directly involved in the planning of Washington Mardi Gras festivities. The Mystick Krewe of Louisianians, which puts on the event, is currently celebrating its 75th year.
Cassidy, a moderate Republican, drew the ire of conservatives in his party after he voted to convict President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial in 2021 over his involvement in the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6. He is facing a primary challenge from state Treasurer John Fleming, and Miguez has said he is seriously considering entering the race.
“[Wilder] will be the first to have premium seating [at the ball] in 2027,” Miguez said when asked about the ticket tiff, implying he would replace Cassidy and thus be involved in planning Washington Mardi gras.
Despite backlash from the ultra-conservative wing in the party, Cassidy has put up strong fundraising numbers ahead of the race. Campaign finance records show him with more than $6 million on hand.
What’s different about the 2026 election is the introduction of closed primaries.
Gov. Jeff Landry supported legislation in 2024 to close Louisiana’s relatively unusual open “jungle” primaries, in which all candidates face each other in an initial election, and the top two vote-getters — assuming no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote — proceed to a runoff the following month.
Louisiana’s new closed primaries apply to seats in Congress and on the Louisiana Supreme Court, Public Service Commission, and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. They will be held in March of each election year, with the majority vote-getter from each party advancing to a fall election. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in March, a second party primary is held with the top two candidates.
In states with closed primaries systems, voters tend to be more polarized than in the general election, meaning a conservative challenger could have a better chance in unseating their more moderate intra-party rival.
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by Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
January 25, 2025
by Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
January 25, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — An intra-party battle is brewing among Louisiana Republicans ahead of the 2026 U.S. Senate race. The first skirmish is playing out over Washington Mardi Gras ball tickets.
State Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs, says his tickets to the ball were revoked after he privately expressed support for state Sen. Blake Miguez, R-Lafayette, who is considering challenging U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy in the 2026 election.
Wilder said he had already arrived in D.C. for the event when he received an email from a member of Cassidy’s congressional staff informing him he would receive a refund for his tickets.
“I think it’s petty,” Wilder said in an interview. “This is supposed to be an event celebrating Louisiana, and now we have a distraction.”
In an interview at the Washington Hilton, where the annual week-long political bash is held, Cassidy denied revoking the tickets. As one of the senators for Louisiana, Cassidy is directly involved in the planning of Washington Mardi Gras festivities. The Mystick Krewe of Louisianians, which puts on the event, is currently celebrating its 75th year.
Cassidy, a moderate Republican, drew the ire of conservatives in his party after he voted to convict President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial in 2021 over his involvement in the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6. He is facing a primary challenge from state Treasurer John Fleming, and Miguez has said he is seriously considering entering the race.
“[Wilder] will be the first to have premium seating [at the ball] in 2027,” Miguez said when asked about the ticket tiff, implying he would replace Cassidy and thus be involved in planning Washington Mardi gras.
Despite backlash from the ultra-conservative wing in the party, Cassidy has put up strong fundraising numbers ahead of the race. Campaign finance records show him with more than $6 million on hand.
What’s different about the 2026 election is the introduction of closed primaries.
Gov. Jeff Landry supported legislation in 2024 to close Louisiana’s relatively unusual open “jungle” primaries, in which all candidates face each other in an initial election, and the top two vote-getters — assuming no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote — proceed to a runoff the following month.
Louisiana’s new closed primaries apply to seats in Congress and on the Louisiana Supreme Court, Public Service Commission, and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. They will be held in March of each election year, with the majority vote-getter from each party advancing to a fall election. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in March, a second party primary is held with the top two candidates.
In states with closed primaries systems, voters tend to be more polarized than in the general election, meaning a conservative challenger could have a better chance in unseating their more moderate intra-party rival.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Piper Hutchinson is a reporter for the Louisiana Illuminator. She has covered the Legislature and state government extensively for the LSU Manship News Service and The Reveille, where she was named editor in chief for summer 2022.
Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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© Louisiana Illuminator, 2025
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The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization with a mission to cast light on how decisions in Baton Rouge are made and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians. Our in-depth investigations and news stories, news briefs and commentary help residents make sense of how state policies help or hurt them and their neighbors statewide.
We’re part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. (See full republishing guidelines.)
© Louisiana Illuminator, 2025
