{{Short description|American politician (1979–2020)}} {{Use American English|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Luke Letlow Portrait.jpg | alt = Official portrait of Luke Letlow smiling. He wears a navy blue suit, red tie, and an American flag lapel pin. | office = Member-elect of the<br />U.S. House of Representatives<br />from Louisiana's {{ushr|LA|5|5th}} district | 1namedata = '''''Died before assuming office''''' | predecessor = Ralph Abraham (as member) | successor = Julia Letlow (as member) | birth_name = Luke Joshua Letlow | birth_date = {{birth date|1979|12|6}} | birth_place = Monroe, Louisiana, U.S. | death_date = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|2020|12|29|1979|12|6}}}} | death_place = Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. | death_cause = Complications due to COVID-19 | party = Republican | spouse = {{marriage|Julia Barnhill<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2020/12/30/congressman-elect-luke-letlow-suffered-a-heart-attack-during-operation/|title = Congressman-elect Luke Letlow suffered a heart attack following operation|date = December 30, 2020}}</ref>|April 2013}} | children = 2 | education = Louisiana Tech University (BS) | website = }}
'''Luke Joshua Letlow'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Luke Letlow - Biography LegiStorm |url=https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/22303/Luke_Joshua_Letlow.html |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=www.legistorm.com |language=en}}</ref> (December 6, 1979 – December 29, 2020)<ref name=rollcall>{{cite web |url=https://rollcall.com/2020/12/05/luke-letlow-wins-runoff-to-succeed-his-boss-ralph-abraham-in-louisianas-5th-district/ |title=Luke Letlow Wins Runoff to Succeed His Boss, Ralph Abraham, in Louisiana's 5th District |first=Stephanie |last=Akin |date=December 5, 2020 |access-date=December 6, 2020 |work=Roll Call |quote=... Letlow, who turns 41 on Sunday ...'}}</ref><ref name="WDSU Letlow dies">{{cite news |author=WDSU Digital Team|title=Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies from COVID-19 |url=https://www.wdsu.com/article/sources-congressman-elect-luke-letlow-dies-from-covid-19/35093657# |publisher=WDSU |date=December 30, 2020 |language=en | quote=The following statement was issued by [Andrew] Bautsch: 'Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, passed away this evening at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport due to complications from COVID-19.'}}</ref> was an American businessman and politician from Louisiana. A Republican, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives for {{ushr|LA|5}} in 2020, but died from complications caused by COVID-19 five days before he was due to take office in the 117th Congress. Before his election to Congress, Letlow served as chief of staff to Representative Ralph Abraham. Three months after his death, Letlow's widow Julia was elected to the vacant seat in a special election.
==Early life and education== Letlow was raised in the unincorporated community of Start, east of Monroe, and was the youngest son of Dianne and Johnny Letlow. He graduated from Ouachita Christian High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in computer information systems from Louisiana Tech University in 2003.<ref name="engagement"/> As a student at Louisiana Tech, Letlow was an intern for John Cooksey in 2000 when Cooksey represented {{ushr|LA|5}} in the United States House of Representatives.<ref name="newsstar">{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2020/03/09/luke-letlow-joins-congressional-race-ralph-abrahams-backing/4998583002/ |title=Luke Letlow joins congressional race with Ralph Abraham's backing |last1=Hilburn|first1=Greg|work=The News-Star|access-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> He served as chairman of the Louisiana Tech College Republicans in 2001 and of the Louisiana Federation of College Republicans in 2002.<ref name="engagement">{{Cite news|date=March 24, 2013|title=Engagements - Luke Letlow and Julia Barnhill|pages=44|work=The News-Star|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10019641/engagements-luke-letlow-and-julia/|access-date=December 6, 2020}}</ref><ref name="newsstar"/><ref name=richland/>
==Career== Letlow worked for Bobby Jindal during Jindal's tenure in the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 1st congressional district as his congressional district director from 2005 to 2008, and during Jindal's first term as governor of Louisiana as director of intergovernmental affairs from 2008 to 2010.<ref>{{cite web|author=groberts |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_63c230a2-5336-524d-bc44-624cd82c55cf.html |title=Newly elected Congressman Ralph Abraham names chief of staff for U.S. House office in DC | State Politics |work=The Advocate|date=December 10, 2014 |access-date=December 6, 2020}}</ref> He then worked as director of government and community affairs for QEP Resources, an energy company based in Denver.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/local/2014/12/10/letlow-named-abrahams-chief-staff/20201499/ |title=Letlow named Abraham's chief of staff |work=The News-Star|first=Greg|last=Hilburn |date=December 10, 2014 |access-date=December 6, 2020}}</ref><ref name=rollcall/> Letlow returned to Louisiana in 2014 to serve as campaign manager for Ralph Abraham during his election for Louisiana's 5th congressional district.<ref name=newsstar/> He served as Abraham's chief of staff during his three-term tenure.<ref name=richland/>
{{see also|2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana}} On March 9, 2020, after Abraham honored his pledge not to serve more than three terms, Letlow announced his candidacy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Hilburn|first=Greg|date=December 29, 2020|title=Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies with COVID-19|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2020/12/29/louisiana-congressman-elect-luke-letlow-dies-covid/4082977001/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=December 30, 2020|website=The News-Star|language=en-US}}</ref> Abraham publicly endorsed him concurrent with Letlow's announcement.<ref name=richland>{{cite web|url=https://www.richlandtoday.com/start-resident-seeks-congressional-seat |title=Start resident seeks Congressional seat|work=Richland Beacon-News|location=Rayville, Louisiana|date=March 17, 2020 |access-date=November 4, 2020}}</ref> In the nonpartisan blanket primary on November 3, Letlow finished in first place with 33% of the vote, while State Representative Lance Harris, a fellow Republican, finished second with 17%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2020/11/03/luke-letlow-lance-harris-emerge-all-republican-runoff-5th-congressional-district/6058832002/|title=Luke Letlow, Lance Harris emerge in all-Republican runoff for 5th Congressional District|first=Greg|last=Hilburn|work=Monroe News-Star|date=November 3, 2020|accessdate=December 29, 2020}}</ref> Letlow won the December 5 runoff election with 62% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|title=Louisiana election results: Letlow, Harris in GOP runoff for Congress|url=https://www.houmatoday.com/story/news/2020/11/03/luke-letlow-lance-harris-emerge-all-republican-runoff-5th-congressional-district/6058832002/|access-date=November 4, 2020|work=Houma Todaym}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2020/12/05/luke-letlow-wins-louisianas-5th-congressional-district-race/3822036001/ |title=Luke Letlow wins Louisiana's 5th Congressional District race |date=December 5, 2020|last1=Hilburn|first1=Greg|work=The News-Star|access-date=December 6, 2020}}</ref> The district is Louisiana's largest by area, covering most of 24 parishes, and includes Alexandria and Monroe, the population hubs, and Opelousas in Acadiana and Bogalusa in the Florida Parishes.<ref name=":0" />
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Letlow wore a mask only sporadically during his campaign, and was photographed speaking indoors to constituents when masks were not being worn by him or those gathered.<ref name=mask>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/12/29/luke-letlow-covid-louisiana-congress/ Luke Letlow, GOP congressman-elect from Louisiana, dies of covid-19], ''Washington Post'', Tim Elfrink, December 29, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.</ref> In October, he had encouraged Louisiana officials to relax pandemic restrictions, warning, "We're now at a place if we do not open our economy, we're in real danger."<ref name=mask/>
==Personal life and death== Letlow lived in Start, Louisiana, with his wife, Julia, and their two young children.<ref name=richland/>
On December 18, 2020, Letlow announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He was hospitalized in Monroe.<ref name=pol1>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/29/luke-letlow-covid-congress-452218|title=Louisiana congressman-elect dies of Covid|first=Melanie|last=Zanona|website=Politico|date=December 29, 2020|accessdate=December 29, 2020}}</ref> After his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport on December 23.<ref>{{cite news |title=Letlow transferred to ICU for COVID-19 treatment |url=https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-coronavirus-pandemic-shreveport-c528a367318c0335f6b43f7a3dc2e5ce |access-date=December 27, 2020 |work=Associated Press |date=December 23, 2020}}</ref> On December 29, Letlow died from the virus at age 41.<ref name="WDSU Letlow dies"/><ref name=pol1/> The hospital reported that he had no underlying conditions when admitted but died in the ICU after suffering a "cardiac event" and could not be resuscitated.<ref name = WAFB>{{cite news|url=https://www.wafb.com/2020/12/29/report-louisiana-congressman-elect-luke-letlow-dies-after-being-hospitalized-with-coronavirus/ |title=Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies after being hospitalized with coronavirus |work=WAFB News |date=December 29, 2020 |accessdate=December 30, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_87489d82-4a47-11eb-9583-f3e4fa6891c1.html|title = Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, 41, dies from coronavirus complications; 'we're all in disbelief'|work = NOLA.com|date = December 29, 2020|accessdate = December 31, 2020}}</ref>
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards ordered flags in the state to be flown at half-staff on the day of Letlow's funeral.<ref name = WAFB/> He also scheduled the special election to fill Letlow's vacancy for March 20, 2021, with an April runoff if needed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/elections/article_2d694272-4ab9-11eb-a71e-7361c76300dc.html|title=Election to replace Luke Letlow in Congress to be set for March, officials say|work=The Advocate|first=Sam|last=Karlin|date=December 30, 2020|accessdate=December 31, 2020}}</ref> His widow Julia Letlow ran in the special election,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Thrush|first1=Glenn|last2=Cochrane|first2=Emily|date=January 14, 2021|title=Julia Letlow, whose husband died of Covid-19 before being sworn into Congress, will run for the seat.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/us/julia-letlow-congress-luke.html|access-date=January 15, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and won, avoiding a runoff.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pathe|first=Simone|date=March 21, 2021|title=Replacing husband who died from Covid-19, Julia Letlow hopes to bring her own experience to Congress|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/19/politics/louisiana-5th-district-julia-letlow/index.html|access-date=March 21, 2021|website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Levy|first1=Adam|last2=Cohen|first2=Ethan|date=March 21, 2021|title=Julia Letlow wins Louisiana's 5th District special election while 2nd District goes to runoff, CNN projects|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/20/politics/louisiana-special-election-congressional-races/index.html|access-date=March 21, 2021|website=CNN}}</ref>
==See also== * List of United States representatives-elect who never took their seats {{clear}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{CongLinks|votesmart=193816}} * {{URL|https://lukeletlow.com|Luke Letlow for Congress}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Ralph Abraham}} {{s-ttl|title=Member-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives<br>from Louisiana's 5th congressional district|years=2020}} {{s-aft|after=Julia Letlow}} {{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Letlow, Luke}} Category:1979 births Category:2020 deaths Category:21st-century Louisiana politicians Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana Category:Elected officials who died without taking their seats Category:Louisiana Republicans Category:Louisiana Tech University alumni Category:People from Richland Parish, Louisiana Category:Political chiefs of staff Category:Politicians from Monroe, Louisiana Category:United States congressional aides Category:Spouses of American politicians