Widow wins seat of pol felled by COV

Republican Julie Letlow won a Louisiana congressional seat in a special election Saturday — after her husband won the seat last year but died from coronavirus complications before he could take office.

Former President Donald Trump, who had endorsed the widow, congratulated her Sunday.

“Congratulations to Julia Letlow on her BIG win in Louisiana! Despite running in a field with a dozen candidates, no runoff election is necessary because she received 65% of the vote — an incredible victory,” Trump said in a statement released by his office.

“I am thrilled for Julia and the entire Letlow family. Luke is looking down proudly from above,” he said.

The former president announced his endorsement of Letlow last week, praising her for her pro-life stance and for being “strong on Crime, the Border, loves our Military, our Vets, and will always protect our cherished Second Amendment.”

Luke Letlow, 41, won a Dec. 5 runoff election and announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 two weeks later.

He died from coronavirus complications on Dec. 29 while in intensive care at Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport.

Julia Letlow beat 11 challengers in the special election for the congressional seat.

In another race in Louisiana, two Democratic state senators from New Orleans will vie in a runoff election on April 24 to fill the seat of former Rep. Cedric Richmond, who vacated the office to take a position in the Biden administration.