BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (AP) – The death of a newly elected US representative from Louisiana from complications related to COVID-19 shocked state political circles on Wednesday and became the latest brutal reminder of how the coronavirus can be dangerous.
Luke Letlow, who was just 41 and had no known underlying health problems, died Tuesday night at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport – days before his scheduled inauguration, according to his spokesman Andrew Bautsch. Bautsch called for privacy for Letlow’s family “during this difficult and unexpected period”.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor who tested positive for coronavirus earlier this year and has since recovered, looked almost speechless in a Twitter video he posted on Tuesday night about Letlow’s death, stopping at a point before saying: “Just, just, just, just bring home COVID can kill. For most people, no, but it really can. So, as you remember Lucas, his widow, your children in your prayers, remember also to be careful with COVID.
A few weeks after Letlow was elected, state officials on Wednesday began discussing logistics for a special election to occupy the seat again.
Louisiana’s eight-member delegation in Congress found Letlow’s death devastating. As the condolences arrived, many officials expressed shock and focused on the death toll of the pandemic.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opened her weekly news conference at the Capitol on Wednesday, extending “great sympathy” to the family of the elected congressman and pushing for greater efforts to end the pandemic. The Democratic leader said Letlow’s COVID-related death could “happen to anyone – and it has happened to almost 350,000 Americans”.
“Many of these deaths could have been prevented,” she said. Pelosi added: “We must be sure that we are scientific and determined to destroy the virus.”
Louisiana State House Mayor Clay Schexnayder, a Republican, issued a statement lamenting Letlow’s death and saying, “This pandemic is real and has taken many of our loved ones. Many husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons. “
Governor John Bel Edwards plans to call a special election for March to fill the seat in Congress, according to his spokeswoman, Christina Stephens.
Letlow was admitted to a Monroe hospital on December 19 after a positive coronavirus test. He was later transferred to the Shreveport facility and placed in the ICU.
Dr. GE Ghali of LSU Health Shreveport told The Advocate that Letlow had no underlying health condition that would put him at greater risk of developing COVID-19 complications.
The elected congressman was inconsistent in his precautions against the coronavirus, although he acknowledged the seriousness of COVID-19 and said in a debate that he personally knew people who died of the disease.
Photos posted on social media for campaign events show Letlow sometimes wearing a mask when interacting with potential voters, but other times – including at his victory party, two weeks before his hospitalization – without covering his face while posing for photos with supporters.
Coming from the small town of Start in Richland Parish, Letlow was elected in a run-off election in December to the US 5th District seat in the House, representing the central and northeastern regions of the state, including the cities of Monroe and Alexandria. He would have been sworn in next week.
Letlow would fill the vacancy that was being vacated by his boss, Republican Ralph Abraham. He had been Abraham’s chief of staff and ran with Abraham’s support to work.
“There are no words for this loss,” Abraham posted on Facebook. “There was no one like Luke Letlow and no one who loved this state and its people anymore. Luke was part of our family and we are very proud of the man he was. “
Before working for Abraham, Letlow had worked for the administration of ex-governor Bobby Jindal.
Letlow is one of more than 7,000 people in Louisiana who have died of COVID-19 since March, according to data from the state’s health department.
Other Louisiana officials who have contracted the virus since the pandemic began include Cassidy, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, Attorney General Jeff Landry, Treasurer John Schroder, US Representative Mike Johnson and Federal Deputy Cedric Richmond.
Letlow leaves his wife, Julia Barnhill Letlow, and two children.
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Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.
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