12-30-2020, 11:10 AM
Elected to the US House of Representatives... died of COVID-19 before he could be inaugurated. Died at age 41.
Luke Joshua Letlow (December 6, 1979 – December 29, 2020)[1][2] was an American politician from the state of Louisiana. A Republican, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 5th congressional district in 2020 but died of COVID-19 before he could take office. Before his election to Congress, Letlow served as chief of staff to retiring Representative Ralph Abraham.
Letlow worked for Bobby Jindal during Jindal's tenure in the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 1st congressional district as his congressional district director from 2005 to 2008, and during Jindal's first term as governor of Louisiana as director of intergovernmental affairs from 2008 to 2010.[6] He then worked as director of government and community affairs for QEP Resources, an energy company based in Denver.[7][1] Letlow returned to Louisiana in 2014 to serve as campaign manager for Ralph Abraham during his election for Louisiana's 5th congressional district.[4] He served as Abraham's chief of staff during his three-term tenure.[5]
On March 9, 2020, after Abraham honored his pledge not to serve more than three terms, Letlow announced his candidacy.[8] Abraham publicly endorsed him concurrent with Letlow's announcement.[5] In the nonpartisan blanket primary on November 3, Letlow finished in first place with 33% of the vote, while State Representative Lance Harris, a fellow Republican, finished second with 17%.[9] Letlow won the December 5 runoff election with 62% of the vote.[10][11]
Per Louisiana state law, a special election will be required to elect a candidate to represent the congressional district. The district, which includes much of Eastern Louisiana, is predominantly Republican.[12]
Letlow lived in Start, Louisiana, with his wife, Julia, and their two children.[5]
On December 18, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Letlow announced that he had tested positive for the virus. He was hospitalized in Monroe.[13] After his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to the intensive care unit of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport on December 23.[14] On December 29, Letlow died of complications of COVID-19 at the age of 41, five days before he was scheduled to be sworn into office.[2][13] The hospital reported that he had no underlying conditions when admitted but died in the ICU of a heart attack after a procedure.[8]
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards ordered flags in the state to be flown at half-staff on the day of Congressman-elect Letlow’s funeral.[15]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Letlow
Luke Joshua Letlow (December 6, 1979 – December 29, 2020)[1][2] was an American politician from the state of Louisiana. A Republican, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 5th congressional district in 2020 but died of COVID-19 before he could take office. Before his election to Congress, Letlow served as chief of staff to retiring Representative Ralph Abraham.
Letlow worked for Bobby Jindal during Jindal's tenure in the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 1st congressional district as his congressional district director from 2005 to 2008, and during Jindal's first term as governor of Louisiana as director of intergovernmental affairs from 2008 to 2010.[6] He then worked as director of government and community affairs for QEP Resources, an energy company based in Denver.[7][1] Letlow returned to Louisiana in 2014 to serve as campaign manager for Ralph Abraham during his election for Louisiana's 5th congressional district.[4] He served as Abraham's chief of staff during his three-term tenure.[5]
On March 9, 2020, after Abraham honored his pledge not to serve more than three terms, Letlow announced his candidacy.[8] Abraham publicly endorsed him concurrent with Letlow's announcement.[5] In the nonpartisan blanket primary on November 3, Letlow finished in first place with 33% of the vote, while State Representative Lance Harris, a fellow Republican, finished second with 17%.[9] Letlow won the December 5 runoff election with 62% of the vote.[10][11]
Per Louisiana state law, a special election will be required to elect a candidate to represent the congressional district. The district, which includes much of Eastern Louisiana, is predominantly Republican.[12]
Letlow lived in Start, Louisiana, with his wife, Julia, and their two children.[5]
On December 18, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Letlow announced that he had tested positive for the virus. He was hospitalized in Monroe.[13] After his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to the intensive care unit of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport on December 23.[14] On December 29, Letlow died of complications of COVID-19 at the age of 41, five days before he was scheduled to be sworn into office.[2][13] The hospital reported that he had no underlying conditions when admitted but died in the ICU of a heart attack after a procedure.[8]
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards ordered flags in the state to be flown at half-staff on the day of Congressman-elect Letlow’s funeral.[15]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Letlow
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.