
Replacing husband who died from Covid-19, Julia Letlow hopes to bring her own experience to Congress
CNN
Julia Letlow, who is projected to make history Saturday as the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Louisiana, didn't expect to be on a ballot this weekend. Three and half months ago, her husband had won the election for Louisiana's 5th District in an early December runoff.
But he never made it to Congress, dying from complications of Covid-19 before he was sworn in. Letlow, a university administrator who wrote a doctoral dissertation on grief, had to make a quick decision. She jumped into the race in mid-January after the governor called a special election to replace her husband, the late Rep.-elect Luke Letlow.
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The retirement of Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin after nearly 30 years in office sparked an expensive three-way Democratic primary that has showcased the party’s divisions over how to confront President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and introduced pro-crypto forces as an influence seeking to shape the midterm elections. The contest is also setting up a test of Gov. JB Pritzker’s political clout in the state as he eyes a potential 2028 presidential bid.











