Julia Letlow

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming clashed Tuesday – in the only debate in the Senate primary election – over who is the most conservative candidate in the race.

As Letlow repeatedly noted, she enjoys a major advantage with President Trump’s endorsement.

But Fleming didn’t cede ground, telling listeners from the studio of KPEL radio in Lafayette that he served as Trump’s deputy chief of staff in the final year of the president’s first term and had a strongly conservative voting record during his eight years in the House.

The two also accused each other of lying and misstating each other’s record. Letlow said Fleming engaged in a “low blow” by noting that her fiancée works as a lawyer/lobbyist to promote carbon capture sequestration. Fleming fiercely opposes the procedure.

Missing was the voice of Sen. Bill Cassidy, who is running for a third term but didn’t want to appear in a debate organized by conservative talk radio host Moon Griffon, who regularly lambastes Cassidy as “Psycho Bill.”

Cassidy had sought three televised, prime time debates in advance of the May 16 Republican primary.

Griffon served as one of the two moderators, along with Jeff Beimfohr of KTBS-TV in Shreveport.