Julia Letlow, the widow of U.S. Rep.-elect Luke Letlow (R-La.), announced she’s running for Congress.
Letlow will run for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District, a seat her husband Luke won but he passed away from COVID-19 complications on Dec. 29 at the age of 41. He would have been sworn on Jan. 3.
“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,” she said in a statement.
She added that everything in her life and marriage prepared her for this moment in time.
“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.”
Letlow served as the executive director of external affairs and strategic communications at ULM. Previously served at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans as the director of education, director of resident patient safety and quality improvement and a clinical instructor of anesthesiology.
Republican Minority Whip Steve Scalise tweeted his endorsement. “The loss of my friend Luke Letlow just days before he was to be sworn in has been nothing short of devastating. Like many have said, Luke represented what is best about public service.”
Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw also added his support and tweeted Letlow has “Amazing strength and courage in the face of unimaginable pain.”
A special election for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District is set for March 20, 2021.
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-Corine Gatti-Santillo