Elizabeth Harrington

December 6, 2014 9:37 PM

Republican Bill Cassidy handedly defeated Democratic incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu in the runoff for the Louisiana Senate seat Saturday, according to the Associated Press and other sources. The victory ousted Landrieu from the seat she has held for 18 years. For the first time since she was 23 years old, Landrieu will not hold political office. Landrieu’s fellow Democrats abandoned her, including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), which withdrew its $2 million ad buy for the runoff after Democrats lost control of the Senate in November. Her Senate colleagues also declined to join her in voting to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, a last ditch failed attempt by Landrieu to demonstrate her “clout.”