Letlow wins 5th District congressional position
Republican Julia Letlow was easily elected at the new representative for Louisiana’s Fifth Congressional District Saturday.
Letlow was elected by a 65 percent margin with 67,199 votes. Democrat Sandra Christophe received 27 percent of the vote with 28, 252 votes. Republican Chad Conerly garnered the next highest amount with 5,497 votes for 5 percent. The other nine candidates gathered less than 1 percent of the vote each.
“This is an incredible moment and it is truly hard to put into words,” Letlow said. “What was born out of the terrible tragedy of losing my husband, Luke, has become my mission in his honor to carry the torch and serve the good people of Louisiana’s 5th District. I am humbled that you would entrust me with the honor of your vote and the privilege to serve you in Congress. A simple thank you doesn’t fully encapsulate the depth of my gratitude.
“I will be a servant to the people of this district and be present across the 24 parishes. I will listen more than I speak and seek to find solutions to our region’s challenges. I will partner with those across the country who can help us capitalize on our district’s strengths and bring real results home to you. From tonight forward, I work for you and it is an honor to do so.”
In Richland Parish, Letlow won by 78 percent with 3,310 votes. Christophe came in second with 826 votes for 19 percent. Conerly had 84 votes for two percent. The other nine candidates split 48 votes between them.
Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce Chairman Scott Franklin was quick to congratulate Letlow on her victory.
“She will now serve the working people of Richland Parish in Washington, a dream that her late husband and our dear friend, Luke Letlow, fought so hard to achieve,” Franklin said. “We are so proud of Julia, and hope that this can finally give many of us that were close to Luke some peace.”
In the race for police juror in District 1, Steven Craig II won by 58.5 percent with 313 votes to opponent Scott Johnson’s 222.
The Delhi Hospital’s property tax renewal passed by a 54 percent margin with 593 votes for the tax renewal and 503 against.
“We can also celebrate another significant milestone in our history, as Richland Parish led the entire state in voter turnout for this special election,” Franklin said. “No matter who you voted for, that mark is something we can all admire.”
Letlow graduated from the University of Louisiana Monroe, with a bachelor’s and master’s in speech communication. After completing her doctorate in communication from the University of South Florida, she returned to ULM as the ombudsperson and special projects coordinator for the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs where she contributed to the development of the university’s strategic plan.
She served as the executive director of external affairs and strategic communications at ULM from 2018 to 2019, and prior served as the director of marketing and communications for the university. She previously served at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans as the director of education, director of resident patient safety and quality improvement, and a clinical instructor of anesthesiology. She has also served as an instructor and teaching associate at ULM, Tulane University, and the University of South Florida.
Letlow is raising her two young children in Start and they worship at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Monroe.