Just days before he was to be sworn into Congress, 41-year-old Rep.-elect Luke Letlow (R-LA) died in a Louisiana hospital intensive care unit “due to complications from COVID-19,” his spokesperson Andrew Bautsch confirmed Wednesday.
Letlow announced on Dec. 18 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus and reported to the Ochsner LSU Health ICU in Shreveport on Dec. 23. He is survived by his wife, Julia Barnhill Letlow, and two children.
A special election will be held to fill Letlow’s newly vacated seat. He was elected in a Dec. 5 runoff, replacing retiring Rep. Ralph Abraham, for whom he’d previously worked as chief of staff.
The Lousiana Delegation said in their statement: “We are devastated to hear of Luke Letlow’s passing. Luke had such a positive spirit, and a tremendously bright future ahead of him. He was looking forward to serving the people of Louisiana in Congress, and we were excited to welcome him to our delegation where he was ready to make an even greater impact on our state and our Nation. More than anything, Luke was a loving husband, father, brother, and son, and his family – like so many others who have been affected by this evil disease – needs our prayers. We all join in sending our strongest support to Luke’s wife Julia and their young family, and are keeping them in our prayers.”
Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards offered his condolences via Twitter to the congressman-elect’s family soon after his death was announced, noting “Louisiana has lost more than 7,300 people to COVID-19 since March, and each one of them leaves a tremendous hole in our state.”
Edwards ordered “flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of Congressman-elect Letlow’s funeral.”
“Luke leaves behind a legacy of service, a love for his community, and a love and understanding of people of every walk of life that will forever be unmatched,” Edwards stated.