Julia Letlow, the widow of Republican Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, who died from coronavirus complications in December before he could be sworn in, will run for Congress to fill the Louisiana seat he could not fill.
“Everything in my life and in my marriage has prepared me for this moment,” Letlow, 41, said in a statement, the Monroe News Star reported. “My motivation is the passion Luke and I both shared: to better this region that we called home and to leave it a better place for our children and future generations.”
Luke Letlow was elected to Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat in November to replace retiring Republican Rep. Ralph Abraham but died at 41 years old on Dec. 29 from complications relating to the coronavirus. Letlow was Abraham’s chief of staff. On the first day of the 117th Congress last week, the House observed a moment of silence for Letlow. He has two young children with his wife Julia, ages 3 and 1.
Julia Letlow is an executive at the University of Louisiana Monroe.
“I am running to continue the mission Luke started — to stand up for our Christian values, to fight for our rural agricultural communities, and to deliver real results to move our state forward,” Julia Letlow said.
A special election to fill the seat is set for March 20. Louisiana’s 5th District is a largely rural one that includes northeastern and central parts of the state. It is a solidly Republican district.
Republican Louisiana state Rep. Lance Harris, who lost to Letlow 62% to 38% in a Dec. 5 runoff election, has not announced whether he will run for the seat in the special election.
Democrat Sandra “Candy” Christophe, who came in third place with 16% support in the November election, has also announced a run for the special election.
Republican Allen Guillory Sr., who received 7% in the November election, has also announced that he will run for the seat in the special election.
