Louisiana congressman-elect Luke Letlow died Tuesday after contracting COVID-19 earlier this month.
On Dec. 18, Letlow, 41, announced he tested positive for COVID-19 and that he would follow “all CDC guidelines, quarantine protocols, and the recommendations of my doctor.” The Republican representative-elect was transferred from St. Francis Medical Center to intensive care at Ochsner LSU Health on Dec. 22 to treat his diagnosis better.
His campaign manager, Andrew Bautsch, confirmed Letlow’s death in a statement on Tuesday, according to WDSU.
“Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, passed away this evening at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport due to complications from COVID-19,” the statement reads, adding that “the family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past days but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time.”
He is survived by his wife, Julia Barnhill Letlow, and two children.
Letlow won a runoff election Dec. 5 against state Rep. Lance Harris in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. He was previously chief of staff to former Louisiana Republican Rep. Ralph Abraham, according to Forbes.
Gov. John Bel Edwards expressed his condolences on Twitter and announced an order for flags to be flown at half-staff the day of the representative-elect’s funeral.
“It is with heavy hearts that @FirstLadyOfLA and I offer our condolences to Congressman-elect Luke Letlow’s family on his passing after a battle with COVID-19. #lagov,” he wrote, adding in a later tweet that “COVID-19 has taken Congressman-elect Letlow from us far too soon. I am heartbroken that he will not be able to serve our people as a U.S. Representative, but I am even more devastated for his loving family. #lagov.“
It is with heavy hearts that @FirstLadyOfLA and I offer our condolences to Congressman-elect Luke Letlow’s family on his passing after a battle with COVID-19. #lagov
— John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) December 30, 2020
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Louisiana has seen over 300,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 7,000 deaths attributed to the virus.
