Democratic incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu will have to defend her seat in a runoff election against Rep. Bill Cassidy (R.), as neither candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote.
Landrieu was polling at just 42 percent of the vote when the race was called, while the Republican vote was split between Cassidy, a doctor and two-term congressman, and Tea Party candidate Rob Maness. Cassidy was projected to take in roughly 45 percent of the vote, with Maness at 10 percent.
The runoff election will be held Dec. 6.
Cassidy has tied Landrieu to President Barack Obama, who remains unpopular in Louisiana with a 56.7 disapproval rating. For her part, Landrieu has continued to defend her vote for Obamacare, saying it is essential to keep the law.
Landrieu, who has served in public office since she was 23 years old, has been accused of being out of touch, billing taxpayers nearly $50,000 to fly around her home state, and for charter flights to attend campaign events, in violation of federal law.
Questions have also been raised about the Democrat’s residency, after it was revealed that she used her $2.5 million home in Washington, D.C. when she filed her statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. Landrieu says she co-owns her parent’s house in New Orleans with her eight siblings.
Landrieu also has billed taxpayers $46,575 for staff retreats at a "luxurious" hotel in Annapolis, Md. since 2011.
Landrieu had been confident of a victory, saying that Democrats, Independents, and Republicans would lead her to victory. Polling has shown Cassidy in a good position to win a runoff election, leading Landrieu by seven points in a head-to-head match up, without Maness in the race.