November 16, 2024
The House voted to rename a Louisiana post office after former Rep. Luke Letlow, who died nearly 3 1/2 years ago due to complications caused by COVID-19. Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly, 401-0, to designate the Rayville postal location as the Luke Letlow Post Office Building under a bill sponsored by Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). The […]

The House voted to rename a Louisiana post office after former Rep. Luke Letlow, who died nearly 3 1/2 years ago due to complications caused by COVID-19.

Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly, 401-0, to designate the Rayville postal location as the Luke Letlow Post Office Building under a bill sponsored by Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). The bill was co-sponsored by Letlow’s wife, Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), who now holds the seat her husband was due to take just five days after his death. 

In this July 22, 2020 file photo, Luke Letlow, chief of staff to exiting Rep. Ralph Abraham, speaks after signing up to run to represent Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte)

“My late husband dedicated his life to making Louisiana’s 5th District a better place,” Julia Letlow said in a statement. “Luke’s purpose was always driven by people and his passion was public service.

“As someone who deeply loved Richland Parish and spent countless hours learning about its history,” she added, “I know he would consider it the recognition of a lifetime to have the Post Office named in his honor, and our family is so proud to see this fitting memorial to his legacy in the place we call home.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Julia Letlow, the widow of Republican U.S. Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, speaks to members of the press at the Louisiana State Archives after signing up to run for the 5th Congressional District seat on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Luke Letlow won a December election for the congressional seat but died of COVID-19 complications in December before he could be sworn into office. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)

Julia Letlow won her late husband’s seat after running in the special election to replace him, garnering a commanding 62% of the vote in a competitive 12-way race. She later won reelection in 2022 with 67.6% of the vote.

Luke Letlow won his election to represent Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District, but he died on Dec. 29, 2020, just five days before he was set to be sworn into office. He died from complications due to COVID-19, according to a statement from his spokesperson at the time.

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