WWL Piece: Louisiana U.S. Senate race could get ugly as GOP candidates fight for votes

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We're three months away from the United States Senate primary election in Louisiana, and the three major Republican candidates are jockeying for positioning with the state's conservative voters. One analyst says: Take the poll data you see with a grain of salt.

"I think it's kind of difficult to say who's leading at this point," LAPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford said, noting that each of the candidates has commissioned his or her own polls in the race, making it difficult to tell who exactly is running first.

However, Alford told WWL's Tommy Tucker that the polls show that Congresswoman Julia Letlow is running strong.

"The race does look like a slugfest between Julia Letlow and Bill Cassidy right now," Alford said. "She is formidable, and I think she has everyone in the field worried."

Alford adds that the incumbent, Bill Cassidy, faces an uphill battle.

"Even his own polling show some weaknesses for him," Alford said.

Alford believes the third major GOP candidate, state treasurer John Fleming, could see a boost in polling as the race progresses, possibly allowing him to be the spoiler in the race.

"I think he's kind of hoping that Julia Letlow and Bill Cassidy keep attacking each other and knocking voters off of each other and that they fall to him. That he becomes sort of the conservative alternative to the both of them," Alford said.

According to Alford, the race shows just how fractured the Republican Party is ahead of the election.

"You really do have a party that's divided when it comes to Cassidy and Letlow," Alford said. "You have President Trump and his operation behind Julia Letlow, and you have the National Republican Senatorial Committee as well as the Senate Majority Leader in Bill Cassidy's corner. I think it's going to come to down which of those forces show up for their chosen candidate."

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