BATON ROUGE, La. — Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy won a second term Tuesday, fending off challenges from Louisiana Democrats.
During his victory speech, Kennedy said the results “took his breath away.”
Kennedy’s reelection was expected in the reliably red state of Louisiana where a Democratic U.S. Senator has not been elected in 14 years.
Throughout his bid for reelection the state’s former treasurer has gained key endorsements, notably from former President Donald Trump who carried 58% of Louisiana’s vote during the 2020 presidential election.
Kennedy, who has proven to be popular in Louisiana and on Capitol Hill, raised an astounding $36 million in his reelection bid - 10 times as much as his Democratic challengers combined.
The politician has become known on Capitol Hill for his outspoken, folksy responses and quotable sound bites. Capitalizing on one of his many frequently-used soundbites, at Kennedy’s election night event he served signature drink’s entitled the “Old Fashioned Weed Killer” - an ode to his catchphrase that he would rather drink the chemical than “let down” or “stop fighting” for Louisianans.
“I will promise you this, as long as I have a breath in my body and until you tell me, ‘No’ - by God I will refuse to be beaten.”
Despite being the likely favorite, 12 other candidates launched bids to unseat Kennedy. Among the Democratic challengers were activist Gary Chambers Jr. - who drew national attention earlier this year for an online video ad that shows him smoking marijuana while decrying racial disparities in drug arrests - and Luke Mixon a commercial airline pilot endorsed by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
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