The man elected to take over the congressional seat from outgoing Representative Ralph Abraham, Luke Letlow has died from complications of COVID-19 at a Shreveport hospital.
Letlow was admitted on December 19th to a hospital in Monroe.
He was later transferred to the ICU at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport.
“The family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past days but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time,” Spokesman Andrew Bautsch told the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate. “A statement from the family along with funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time.”
Letlow was Congressman Abraham’s Chief of Staff.
He was elected to the Congressman’s seat in November as Abraham kept a campaign promise that he would only serve three terms.
At 41-years of age Letlow was set to be Louisiana’s youngest congressman.
Governor John Bel Edwards released the following statement upon learning of Letlow’s passing:
“It is with heavy hearts that Donna and I offer our condolences to Congressman-elect Luke Letlow’s family on his passing after a battle with COVID-19. Congressman-elect Letlow felt a calling from a young age to serve the people of his home state, working behind the scenes for former Governor Bobby Jindal and serving as chief of staff to Congressman Ralph Abraham, who he was recently elected to succeed. COVID-19 has taken Congressman-elect Letlow from us far too soon. I am heartbroken that he will not be able to serve our people as a U.S. Representative, but I am even more devastated for his loving family. I hope all of the people of Louisiana will join Donna and me in praying for Congressman-elect Letlow’s family, especially his wife Julia and their two children, his many friends and the people of the 5th Congressional District. 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.”
Governor Edwards has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of Congressman-elect Letlow’s funeral.
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