Julia Letlow, whose husband Luke Letlow died from COVID-19 days before he was to be sworn into Congress, announced Thursday that she is running for his vacant seat in Louisiana's 5th Congressional District.
"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,’’ Letlow said in a statement posted to Facebook.
Luke Letlow, 41, died from complications of COVID-19 on Dec. 29. He was to be sworn into office on Jan. 3 after winning a runoff to replace Rep. Ralph Abraham, who he had previously served as his chief of staff.
According to USA Today, Democrat Sandra "Candy" Christophe, who finished third in the Nov. 3 primary election, announced last week that she would run again.
Republican Allen Guillory Sr. is also running, USA Today reported.
According to The New York Times, Gov. John Bel Edwards has called for a special election on March 20, 2021.
Qualifying for the election begins on Jan. 20, The Times reported.
