Julia Letlow

Julia Letlow
Official portrait, 2021
Julia Letlow
Born	Julia Janelle Barnhill 16 3, 1981
Birthplace	Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation	Template:Hlist
Known for	First Republican woman to represent Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives
Education	University of Louisiana at Monroe (BA, MA) University of South Florida (PhD)
Children	2
Website	[[letlow.house.gov letlow.house.gov] Official site]

Julia Janelle Letlow (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; née Barnhill; born March 16, 1981) is an American politician and academic administrator serving as the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 5th congressional district since April 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Letlow became the first Republican woman elected to represent Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives when she won a special election in March 2021. Her entry into politics followed the death of her husband, Luke Letlow, who died of complications from COVID-19 on December 29, 2020, just days before he was to be sworn in as the representative for the same district. Before entering Congress, Letlow built a career in higher education administration at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where she served as director of external affairs and strategic communications. In January 2026, Letlow announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in Louisiana after receiving an endorsement from former and current President Donald Trump, setting up a primary challenge against incumbent Republican Senator Bill Cassidy.

Early Life

Julia Janelle Barnhill was born on March 16, 1981, in Monroe, Louisiana. She grew up in northeastern Louisiana, a region that would later form the core of the 5th congressional district she would come to represent. Monroe, the seat of Ouachita Parish, is the largest city in the district and has served as a center of commerce and education in the northern part of the state.

Letlow's roots in the Monroe area shaped her academic and professional trajectory. She attended local schools before enrolling at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where she would spend much of her academic and professional career. Her connection to the university and the surrounding community became a defining feature of her public identity, both as an academic administrator and later as a political candidate.

She married Luke Letlow, a political operative from the region who had worked as chief of staff to U.S. Representative Ralph Abraham. The couple had two children together. The Letlow family remained closely tied to the Monroe area throughout their lives together.

Education

Letlow earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She subsequently pursued doctoral studies at the University of South Florida, where she completed her PhD. Her doctoral work was housed within the University of South Florida's graduate program, and her dissertation is archived in the university's Scholar Commons digital repository. Letlow's advanced education in an academic discipline provided the foundation for her subsequent career in university administration and, later, her work in public policy as a member of Congress.

Career

Academic Career

Before entering politics, Letlow established herself in the field of higher education administration. She held a position at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where in 2018 she was named director of external affairs and strategic communications. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing the university's public-facing communications and its relationships with external stakeholders, including government entities, community organizations, and media.

Letlow's tenure at ULM coincided with a period of transition at the university. In 2020, the institution conducted a presidential search, with seven candidates vying for the top leadership position. Her work at ULM gave her significant experience in institutional governance, strategic planning, and public communications — skills that would later prove relevant to her political career.

Luke Letlow's Congressional Campaign and Death

Julia Letlow's path to Congress was shaped by the tragic circumstances surrounding her husband's election and death. Luke Letlow had served as chief of staff to U.S. Representative Ralph Abraham, who represented Louisiana's 5th congressional district. When Abraham announced he would not seek reelection, Luke Letlow entered the race to succeed him. Luke Letlow advanced to a runoff election and won the seat in December 2020, becoming the congressman-elect for the 5th district.

However, Luke Letlow was hospitalized after contracting COVID-19 and died on December 29, 2020, at the age of 41, just days before he was scheduled to be sworn into office. His death sent shockwaves through Louisiana's political community and left the 5th congressional district without a representative. The family released a statement and obituary describing Luke Letlow's commitment to public service and his deep ties to the region.

The death of Luke Letlow necessitated a special election to fill the vacant seat. Julia Letlow, while grieving the loss of her husband, emerged as a candidate who could carry forward his political legacy while also bringing her own professional credentials and community connections to the race.

2021 Special Election

On January 14, 2021, Julia Letlow announced her candidacy for the special election to fill the 5th congressional district seat that her late husband had won but never occupied. Her announcement was met with significant attention both within Louisiana and nationally, given the extraordinary circumstances of the race.

The special election was held on March 20, 2021. Letlow ran a campaign that emphasized her ties to the district, her professional background in higher education, and her desire to continue the work her husband had planned to do in Congress. The campaign attracted national interest and support, including a boost from former President Donald Trump ahead of the election.

Letlow won the special election decisively, avoiding a runoff by capturing a majority of the vote in the first round. Multiple news outlets, including CNN and NBC News, reported her commanding victory. Her victory made her the first Republican woman ever elected to represent Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives, a historic milestone in the state's political history.

The Baton Rouge newspaper The Advocate covered the race extensively, reporting on Letlow's candidacy and the broader dynamics of the special election in the context of Louisiana politics.

Tenure in Congress

Julia Letlow was sworn in as the representative for Louisiana's 5th congressional district on April 14, 2021, succeeding Ralph Abraham, who had held the seat before declining to seek reelection. Her federal campaign finance filings were recorded with the Federal Election Commission.

Shortly after taking office, Letlow made headlines for publicly advocating that Republicans receive the COVID-19 vaccine. In a March 2021 interview with CNN, she spoke about the importance of vaccination, drawing on her personal experience as a widow who lost her husband to the virus. Her public stance on vaccines was notable given the hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccination that existed within segments of the Republican base at the time.

Letlow has represented a sprawling, largely rural district in northeastern and central Louisiana. The 5th congressional district covers a significant portion of the state's land area and includes communities with diverse economic bases, from agriculture to energy production. Throughout her tenure, Letlow has maintained her connection to the district through her congressional office and constituent services operations.

2026 Senate Campaign

In January 2026, President Donald Trump publicly encouraged Letlow to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Bill Cassidy in the Louisiana GOP Senate primary. Trump's endorsement was viewed as a significant development in Louisiana politics and a reflection of ongoing tensions within the Republican Party following Cassidy's vote to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial in 2021.

Multiple national outlets reported on Trump's endorsement and its implications. Politico reported that Letlow was preparing to launch her Senate bid following the president's public backing. Fox News described the endorsement as a development that "rocks Louisiana Senate race," noting that it dealt a "severe setback" to Cassidy's reelection prospects.

Shortly after the endorsement, Letlow officially announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate. NBC News reported that she launched her primary bid against Cassidy, setting up what was expected to be a closely watched intraparty contest. Trump's earlier encouragement was also reported by NBC News, which noted that Letlow had previously stated she had not decided whether to run for the Senate.

The Senate campaign has not been without controversy. In February 2026, reports emerged that Letlow had failed to disclose approximately 210 individual stock trades to Congress on time, as required by federal law under the STOCK Act. NOLA.com reported that a super PAC supporting Cassidy used the late disclosures to attack Letlow's candidacy. WBRZ also reported on the matter, describing the failure to report "hundreds of individual stock trades on time."

Personal Life

Julia Letlow married Luke Letlow, a political strategist and public servant from northeastern Louisiana. Luke Letlow had served as chief of staff to U.S. Representative Ralph Abraham before running for Congress himself in 2020. The couple had two children together.

Luke Letlow died on December 29, 2020, from complications related to COVID-19, at the age of 41. He had been hospitalized after contracting the virus during the transition period following his election to Congress. His death occurred just days before he was to be sworn into office on January 3, 2021. The loss was a profound personal tragedy for the Letlow family and resonated widely across Louisiana and the nation, coming at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was causing record numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States.

In the years following Luke Letlow's death, Julia Letlow has spoken publicly about the impact of his loss on her family and her motivation for entering public service. As of 2025, Letlow is engaged to Kevin Ainsworth.

Letlow has publicly advocated for COVID-19 vaccination, citing her personal experience with the devastating effects of the virus. In a notable 2021 appearance, she urged fellow Republicans to receive the vaccine, positioning herself as a voice within the party willing to encourage vaccination at a time of significant political polarization around public health measures.

Recognition

Julia Letlow's election to Congress in March 2021 was itself a historic achievement: she became the first Republican woman to represent Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives. This milestone was noted by numerous media outlets and political observers, reflecting the significance of her election in the broader context of women's representation in Southern politics and within the Republican Party.

Her 2021 special election victory received extensive national media coverage from outlets including CNN, NBC News, The New York Times, The Hill, and The Advocate. The election drew attention both because of the tragic circumstances that precipitated it and because of Letlow's decisive margin of victory.

Her endorsement by Donald Trump for both the 2021 special election and the 2026 Senate race has further elevated her national profile. The 2026 Senate primary campaign, in particular, has drawn coverage from major national publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, NBC News, and Fox News, placing Letlow among the most closely watched candidates in the 2026 election cycle.