Luke Letlow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luke Letlow
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| Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 5th district |
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| Died before assuming office | |
| Preceded by | Ralph Abraham (as member) |
| Succeeded by | Julia Letlow (as member) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Luke Joshua Letlow
December 6, 1979 Monroe, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | December 29, 2020 (aged 41) Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Cause of death | COVID-19 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Julia Barnhill
(m. 2013) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Louisiana Tech University (BS) |
Luke Joshua Letlow (born December 6, 1979 – died December 29, 2020) was an American businessman and politician from Louisiana. He was a member of the Republican Party.
In 2020, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 5th district. Sadly, he passed away from problems caused by COVID-19. This happened just five days before he was supposed to start his job in the 117th Congress. Before being elected to Congress, Letlow worked as a top aide, called a chief of staff, for Representative Ralph Abraham. A few months after his death, Luke Letlow's wife, Julia, won a special election to fill the empty seat.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Luke Letlow grew up in a small community called Start. This area is located east of Monroe. He was the youngest son of Dianne and Johnny Letlow.
He went to Ouachita Christian High School. In 2003, he earned a college degree. He received a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems from Louisiana Tech University. While studying at Louisiana Tech, Letlow worked as an intern. An intern is someone who gains work experience. He interned for John Cooksey in 2000. At that time, Cooksey was a representative for Louisiana's 5th district. Letlow was also a leader in college political groups. He chaired the Louisiana Tech College Republicans in 2001. In 2002, he led the Louisiana Federation of College Republicans.
Political Career and Elections
Letlow worked for Bobby Jindal for several years. From 2005 to 2008, he was a director for Jindal. Jindal was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Then, from 2008 to 2010, Letlow worked for Jindal again. This was during Jindal's first term as governor of Louisiana. Letlow's job was director of intergovernmental affairs. This means he helped connect different levels of government.
After that, he worked for an energy company. The company was called QEP Resources, based in Denver. Letlow was their director of government and community affairs.
In 2014, Letlow came back to Louisiana. He became the campaign manager for Ralph Abraham. A campaign manager helps run an election campaign. Abraham was running for Louisiana's 5th congressional district. Letlow then served as Abraham's chief of staff. He held this important role for Abraham's three terms in office.
Running for Congress in 2020
On March 9, 2020, Luke Letlow announced he would run for Congress. Representative Abraham had decided not to run again. Abraham had promised to serve only three terms. He publicly supported Letlow's campaign.
The election used a special system called a nonpartisan blanket primary. This election took place on November 3. Letlow came in first place with 33% of the votes. Another Republican, State Representative Lance Harris, finished second with 17%. Because no one won more than 50% of the votes, a second election was held. This is called a runoff election.
Letlow won the runoff election on December 5. He received 62% of the votes. The district he was elected to is very large. It covers most of 24 parishes in Louisiana. It includes major cities like Alexandria and Monroe. It also covers Opelousas and Bogalusa.
During his campaign, the COVID-19 pandemic was happening. Letlow sometimes did not wear a mask. He was seen speaking indoors to groups where people were not wearing masks. In October, he suggested that Louisiana officials should ease pandemic rules. He believed that the economy was in danger if they did not open it up.
Personal Life and Passing
Luke Letlow lived in Start, Louisiana. He lived there with his wife, Julia, and their two young children.
On December 18, 2020, Letlow announced he had tested positive for COVID-19. He was taken to a hospital in Monroe. His health got worse, so he was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU). This happened on December 23 at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.
On December 29, Luke Letlow passed away from the virus. He was 41 years old. The hospital reported that he had no other health problems when he was admitted. He died in the ICU after a "cardiac event," which means his heart stopped. Doctors could not bring him back.
After his death, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. This means the flags are lowered as a sign of respect and mourning. The governor also set a special election date. This election was to fill Letlow's empty seat. It was scheduled for March 20, 2021. His widow, Julia Letlow, ran in this special election. She won the election without needing a runoff.
See also
- List of members-elect of the United States House of Representatives who never took their seats
