If anyone could be “prepared” for the emotional and political roller coaster of running for Congress to replace her late husband, it would be Julia Letlow.
When she was a junior in college, Letlow’s 17-year-old brother died in a car crash. “My family was incredibly close, so that shook us to the core,” Letlow told the Washington Examiner in an interview on Friday.
But through the rest of her studies and graduate school, she was “able to write about loss and grief and was able to continue that work into a Ph.D. program and actually wrote a dissertation on losing a family member and trying to make meaning out of loss,” Letlow said.
Now, Letlow is running for Louisana’s 5th Congressional District seat after her 41-year-old husband, Luke Letlow, who was a representative-elect for the seat, died in December before being sworn into office. The special election for the seat is on Saturday.
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“I’ve been able to draw back on that those experiences and that research as I face yet another loss in my life,” Letlow said. “That’s given me perspective and comfort and knowing that, you know, you can grieve and continue to move forward at the same time.”
While her past experience and knowledge “really bolstered my confidence in that decision” to run for Congress, Letlow said that her Christian faith was an important factor in her decision: “I needed to pray about it and make sure that I had that peace from the Lord about it, and I did.”
She is joining a tradition of dozens of widows before her in running for her late husband’s House seat, including two other Democratic women from Louisiana: former Rep. Lindy Boggs, who was elected in 1973 and held office until 1991 after her husband, Democratic House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, disappeared on a flight in Alaska with Rep. Nick Begich, and former Rep. Catherine S. Long, who joined Congress in 1985 to finish the rest of her husband’s term after Rep. Gillis Long died from heart failure.
Letlow is not the only congressional widow currently running for office. In Texas, Republican Susan Wright is running for the House seat of her late husband, Rep. Ron Wright, following his death in February.
If the voters will have her, Letlow said that she has “a strong feeling that I could have a long run” in Congress and politics. She knew what she was getting into, having campaigned with her husband in the months prior to his death.
“Luke and I’d actually had many conversations about it beforehand,” she said. “He said, ‘Julia, you have the qualifications, you have the background, but most importantly, you have the desire to serve. Promise me if the opportunity ever arises that you would take advantage of it and run for office one day.'”
Letlow, 40, is a mother of two young children, has a doctorate in communication, and has a professional background as a higher education executive — all elements of a winning candidate profile. She’s scored endorsements from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Republican House Whip Steve Scalise, also a member of the Louisiana delegation.
“I never imagined it would be on this scale, this soon,” Letlow said. “I thought I would start out somewhere smaller.”
Saturday’s special election is a “jungle primary,” in which all qualifying candidates, regardless of party, will be on the same ballot, and there will be a runoff election if no candidate wins 50% of the vote. But Letlow is the best-funded and best-known candidate in the safe Republican district.
If elected, Letlow plans to use her background in communication to deliver for her district, and she would like to seek out a seat on the House Agriculture Committee as well as work on infrastructure issues.
“There’s nothing like the pandemic to bring to light about how important of a necessity rural broadband is when you want to talk about educating your children or providing healthcare for people in rural areas,” she said.
Letlow has a 1-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son.
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“I can’t think of any better example to set for my children than to serve others,” she said, adding that “when you face trials and tribulations and loss in your life, which we all will if we live long enough, that you can either give up or you can keep going.”
“I want them to see that their mom chose hope,” Letlow said. “I believe I’m here for a reason, and I’m honored to run.”
