Julia Letlow , the widow of Congressman-electLuke Letlow , said that's she's running in aLouisiana specialelection to fill his seat.- "Everything in my life and in my marriage has prepared me for this moment," she said in a statement on Thursday.
- Luke Letlow was poised to be Louisiana's newest Republican member of
Congress but he died from COVID-19 complications shortly before being sworn into office.
Julia Letlow, the widow of Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, announced on Thursday that she'll run in a special Louisiana election to fill his empty seat.
"Everything in my life and in my marriage has prepared me for this moment," she said in a statement reported by the $4.
"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," she added. "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 lost her husband to COVID-19 $4 on December 29, less than a week before he was set to be sworn into office as Louisiana's newest member of Congress. He was 41, and the couple has two children.
Congress $4 and Louisiana state officials expressed condolences after Luke Letlow's sudden death, and his friends $4 he was "destined for big things."
A Republican, Luke Letlow won the December runoff election for the 5th Congressional District in the red state with 62% of the vote, according to $4 He would've replaced outgoing Rep. Ralph Abraham, who he previously worked for as chief of staff.
Following Luke Letlow's death, Gov. John Bel Edwards $4 a special election would take place to fill his vacant seat. A primary is scheduled for March 20, followed by a general election on April 24.
Julia Letlow works as an executive at the University of Louisiana Monroe. She did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.