Luke Letlow, a member of the Louisiana Elected Congress, died Tuesday from COVID-19 at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport, his campaign director confirmed. The 41-year-old Republican had announced his diagnosis of COVID-19 just 11 days earlier.
Letlow defeated Rep. Lance Harris in the Dec. 5 election to become the representative of the Fifth District of the Louisiana Congress. He was replaced by Republican Ralph Abraham, who served three terms, and for whom Letlow served as chief of staff.
“There are no words for this loss,” Abraham said in a statement. “There was no one like Luke Letlow, and there was no one who loved this state and its people more. Luke was part of our family and we are very proud of the man he was. Luke leaves a legacy of service, l ‘love for their community and the love and understanding of people from all walks of life who will always be second to none.’
Just two weeks after the win, Letlow announced had tested positive in COVID-19. A few days later, the elected congressman was hospitalized. Turned on December 23rd, a Letlow representative said he was in “stable condition” in an intensive care unit and was receiving remdesivir and steroids.
His wife and two young children survive him.
“The COVID-19 has taken us MP-elect Letlow too soon. I have a broken heart that he will not be able to serve our people as a representative of the U.S., but I am even more devastated by his loving family,” the Louisiana governor said , John Bel Edwards said Tuesday in a statement. “Louisiana has lost more than 7,300 people against COVID-19 since March and each of them leaves a huge hole in our state.”
On Letlow’s funeral day, state flags will fly at half-staff, Edwards said. Funeral details and arrangements have not yet been announced.
Louisiana Secretary of State Robert Kyle Ardoin tweeted that “hearts are heavy” and that Letlow was a “man who dedicated his short life to the betterment of our state and our nation.”
Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson tweeted that he is “shocked tonight and has no proper words.” He and the other five members of the state congressional delegation issued a joint statement, saying they are “devastated” by Letlow’s death.
“Luke had such a positive spirit and a tremendously bright future ahead. He was eager to serve the people of Louisiana in Congress and we were excited to welcome him to our delegation, where he was willing to make a equality has a greater impact on our state and our nation, ”they said. “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, need our prayers.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also offered words of condolence and said Letlow was “a ninth-generation Louisiana woman who fought passionately for her point of view and dedicated her life to public service.”
“As the House mourns the death of Congressman Letlow, our grief adds to the grief of so many other families who have also suffered lives truncated by this terrible virus,” Pelosi added.
In recent months, Letlow has done just that published numerous photos of himself and dozens of others in campaign and community events without masks and without social distancing. I had also pushed for states “reopen the economy“In the midst of the pandemic.
More than 304,000 people in Louisiana have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. Across the country, there have been more than 19.5 million cases and more than 338,000 deaths.