For one Louisiana family, it's a time of utter heartbreak. Congressman-elect Luke Letlow has died from COVID-19, leaving behind his wife and two young children. It's simply devastating, but even more so because he was just elected as a new congressman and was only days away from being sworn in.
The Republican congressman-elect was set to represent Louisiana's 5th Congressional District after a runoff this month. Spokesperson Andrew Bautsch confirmed Letlow's death at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport on Letlow's Facebook page.
"The family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past days but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time," Bautsch said in a statement. "A statement from the family along with funeral arrangements will be announced at a later time."
The death of Luke Letlow has shaken his community. Not only because he was young at just 41 and had a beautiful family, but because he was truly in the prime of his life. He'd just been elected as a congressman and couldn't wait to start serving the people of Louisiana.
It was just a week before Christmas when Luke Letlow announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19. On December 18, he let his followers know in a tweet that he was being treated at a hospital. But the illness was clearly rapidly progressing.
By Wednesday of the same week, a new message came from his representative, who said he had been transferred to another hospital. He was in the intensive care unit, but so far was stable. That all changed quickly.
Luke Letlow died on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. He left behind his loving wife, Julia Barnhill Letlow, and two young children. But so many people are mourning his sudden passing today.
Louisiana's congressional delegation, including House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, said in a statement, "We are devastated to hear of Luke Letlow's passing." The statement continued, "Luke had such a positive spirit, and a tremendously bright future ahead of him."
Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was a good friend of Luke's. He shared a sweet yet heartbroken sentiment in a tweet. "Luke has been a good friend for so many years, and we are saddened he was taken from us at such a young age," he wrote. "We had talked in recent days about his excitement about the opportunity to serve the people of the 5th Congressional district, and his love and devotion for Julia and their kids."
His message continued, "I first met Luke when he was still a college student, and spent countless hours with him in his truck driving the back roads of Louisiana. His passion for service has been a constant throughout his life." Sadly, he never got to live out his dream of becoming a congressman.
The death of such a young and prominent politician is simply devastating. It's yet another unfortunate reminder that this pandemic is still far from over. In fact, our leaders are saying that the worst is still yet to come. We all have to remain diligent and exercise caution whenever possible.
