MONROE, La. – Julia Letlow, wife of the late U.S. Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, has announced she will run for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District seat in the upcoming special election.
Julia Letlow made the announcement on KWCL-FM radio on Jan. 14, 2021. Her husband won last year’s election to replace outgoing Congressman Ralph Abraham. However, he died from COVID-19 complications before he could take office. Julia said she and Luke were a team and she feels the need to carry on his work in Congress.
“Everything in my life and in my marriage has prepared me for this moment. 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. We live in one of the most poverty stricken districts in the United States, but God has blessed us with amazing resources: rich soil, the mighty Mississippi, and strong educational institutions – all that can be used to elevate this district out of poverty. 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,” Julia Letlow said in a written statement.
According to her bio, Julia Letlow served as the executive director of external affairs and strategic communications at ULM. She 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. She has also served as an instructor and teaching associate at ULM, Tulane University, and the University of South Florida.
Alexandria businesswoman Sandra “Candy” Christophe also announced her run for the seat. She was among several candidates who vied for the seat in November 2020 and narrowly missed making the December runoff. Louisiana state representative Michael Echols previously said he was considering a run for the seat, but said he would only run if Julia Letlow and Ralph Abraham decide not to run.
The special election called by Gov. John Bel Edwards will be held on March 20, 2021. Qualifying for the election begins on January 20, 2021.
