Julia Letlow

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Julia Letlow
Official portrait, 2021
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 14, 2021
Preceded byRalph Abraham[a]
Personal details
BornJulia Janelle Barnhill
(1981-03-16) March 16, 1981 (age 44)
Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2013; died 2020)​
Children2
EducationUniversity of Louisiana, Monroe (BA, MA)
University of South Florida (PhD)
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website

Julia Janelle Letlow (/ˈlɛtloʊ/ LET-loh; 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 2021.[2][3] Letlow is the first Republican woman to represent Louisiana in the House.[4]

Letlow earned her Doctor of Philosophy in communications from the University of South Florida in 2012. Her doctoral advisor was Jane Jorgenson. Letlow's dissertation was titled Giving Meaning to Grief: the Role of Rituals and Stories in Coping with Sudden Family Loss.[5] She dedicated it to her brother, Jeremy, who died in an automobile collision.[5][6]

Early life and education

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Letlow was born Julia Janelle Barnhill on March 16, 1981, in Monroe, Louisiana. She was the middle child of Terry and Kathi Arneson Barnhill. Her father is an investment adviser. Her mother is a former flight attendent. She graduated from Ouachita Christian High School.[7] She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in speech communications from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in communications from the University of South Florida in 2012. Her doctoral advisor was Jane Jorgenson. Letlow's dissertation was titled Giving Meaning to Grief: the Role of Rituals and Stories in Coping with Sudden Family Loss.[5] She dedicated it to her brother, Jeremy, who died in an automobile collision.[5][6]

Early career

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Letlow worked as director of education and patient safety for Tulane University School of Medicine.[8] In 2018, she was named director of external affairs and strategic communications for the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM).[9] In 2020, she was a finalist for the presidency of ULM.[10][11]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2021 special

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Main article: 2021 Louisiana's 5th congressional district special election

Letlow's husband, Luke Letlow, was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 5th congressional district in the 2020 elections, but died from COVID-19 in December 2020, before taking office.[12] Julia decided to run in the special election for the vacant seat in January 2021.[13] During her campaign, she secured a number of high-profile endorsements, including one from former President Donald Trump.[14] By the end of February, Letlow had raised $683,000, the most money raised by any candidate in the race.[15] On March 20, she received over 64% of the vote in the nonpartisan blanket primary, winning the election outright and avoiding a runoff.[16] Letlow is the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Louisiana.[17][18]

2022

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Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana § District 5

Letlow won reelection outright in 2022, winning 67% of the vote against three opponents.[19]

2024

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Letlow won reelection outright in Louisiana’s November 5, 2024, primary with 62.9% of the vote against Michael Vallien Jr. and M. V. “Vinny” Mendoza.[20]

Tenure

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She was sworn in on April 14, 2021.[6] On January 3, 2025, Letlow voted for Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House in the 119th Congress.[21]

Committee assignments

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Legislation

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In the 118th Congress, Letlow introduced the Parents Bill of Rights Act (H.R. 5). The House passed the bill on March 24, 2023, by a vote of 213–208.[23][24]

In the 119th Congress, she sponsored the Farm Rescue Act of 2025 (H.R. 5473) to authorize advance partial Price Loss Coverage payments for the 2025 crop year; the bill was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture on September 18, 2025.[25]

Letlow also co-led the bipartisan BUILD Act of 2025 (H.R. 2979) to support infrastructure investment for small law-enforcement and fire departments,[26][27] and introduced H.R. 2822 to extend the National Flood Insurance Program through December 31, 2026.[28]

Caucus memberships

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Political positions

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Immigration

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Letlow released a statement criticizing the Biden administration for "immigration detainees being released" in Louisiana, writing, "I join my fellow members of the Louisiana delegation in demanding a thorough and complete explanation of this situation and urge the Administration to stop these releases immediately".[32]

Infrastructure

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In July 2021, Letlow told KNOE-TV that there was "Nothing like a pandemic to bring to light how vital rural broadband is to our district", and said that rural broadband can provide better access to quality healthcare and education. Of the infrastructure plan proposed by Joe Biden, Letlow said, "You know, it's the political football...I really want to make sure that that infrastructure bill addresses true infrastructure needs. Roads, bridges, ports, rural broadband. Cut the other part out."[33]

2020 presidential election

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Letlow said she would have joined the majority of Republican representatives in objecting to the results of the 2020 presidential election in Congress, had she been in office at the time.[15]

Education

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Letlow with Suzanne Youngkin

Letlow authored a Parent's Bill of Rights that passed the U.S. House in March 2023. The measure was introduced as H.R. 5 in the 118th Congress and passed the House on March 24, 2023.[34][35] The bill would give parents more oversight over what is taught in public schools. It would require school districts to make curricula public, provide parents with information on available library materials, allow parents to address school boards, require public disclosure of school budgets, and require parental consent prior to any physical or mental medical exams taking place at school.[36][37]

Personal life

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Letlow met Luke Letlow in high school and years later, they married in 2013.[38][8] They had two children together before his death in 2020.[39] Letlow addressed vaccine hesitancy among Republicans and encouraged them to get the COVID-19 vaccine, invoking her husband's death from the virus.[40]

Letlow is a Presbyterian.[41]

Electoral history

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2021 Louisiana's 5th congressional district special election[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Julia Letlow 67,203 64.86
Democratic Sandra "Candy" Christophe 28,255 27.27
Republican Chad Conerly 5,497 5.31
Republican Robert Lansden 929 0.90
Republican Allen Guillory 464 0.45
Independent Jim Davis 402 0.39
Republican Sancha Smith 334 0.32
Republican M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza 236 0.23
Independent Jaycee Magnuson 131 0.13
Republican Richard H. Pannell 67 0.06
Republican Horace Melton III 62 0.06
Republican Errol Victor Sr. 36 0.03
Total votes 103,616 100.00
Republican hold
Louisiana's 5th congressional district, 2022[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Julia Letlow (incumbent) 151,080 67.6
Democratic Oscar "Omar" Dantzler 35,149 15.7
Democratic Walter Earl Huff 19,383 8.7
Republican Allen Guillory 12,159 5.4
Republican Hunter Pullen 5,782 2.6
Total votes 223,553 100.0
Republican hold
Louisiana's 5th congressional district, 2024[43]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Julia Letlow (incumbent) 201,037 62.9
Democratic Michael Vallien Jr. 82,981 25.9
Republican Vinny Mendoza 35,833 11.2
Total votes 319,851 100.0
Republican hold

Notes

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  1. ^ Letlow's husband, Luke Letlow, was elected to succeed retiring Abraham but died before taking office on December 29, 2020.[1]

References

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  1. ^ Deslatte, Melinda (December 30, 2020). "Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies from COVID-19". Associated Press. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "Terms of Service for Members of the House of Representatives in the 117th Congress" (PDF). Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  3. ^ Seitz-Wald, Alex (March 20, 2021). "Republican Julia Letlow wins special congressional election in Louisiana, NBC News projects". NBC News. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  4. ^ Adam Levy and Ethan Cohen (March 21, 2021). "Julia Letlow makes history in Louisiana's 5th District special election while 2nd District goes to runoff". CNN. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Barnhill, Julia Janelle (2011). Giving Meaning to Grief: the Role of Rituals and Stories in Coping with Sudden Family Loss (Ph.D. thesis). University of South Florida. OCLC 778367257.
  6. ^ a b c Fram, Alan (April 14, 2021). "Louisiana congresswoman Julia Letlow takes office, replacing late husband". The Advocate. Associated Press. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  7. ^ Bridges, Tyler (March 15, 2021). "Julia Letlow, picking up torch from her late husband, is favored to win congressional race". The Advocate. Georges Media. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Barnhill – Letlow". The News-Star. Monroe, Louisiana. March 24, 2013. p. 44. Retrieved March 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  9. ^ "Letlow named director of external affairs and strategic communications at ULM". The News-Star. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  10. ^ "Seven candidates in the running for ULM president". The News-Star. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  11. ^ "Seven semifinalists set in University of Louisiana Monroe search". Associated Press. May 18, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  12. ^ "Luke Letlow's family talks about the congressman-elect's COVID death". The News-Star. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  13. ^ "Julia Letlow, widow of U.S. Rep-elect Luke Letlow, to run for Congress". The News-Star. December 30, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  14. ^ Axelrod, Tal (March 20, 2021). "Trump boosts Julia Letlow ahead of Louisiana special election". The Hill. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Pathe, Simone (March 19, 2021). "Running to replace husband who died from Covid-19, Julia Letlow hopes to bring her own experience to Congress". CNN. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  16. ^ Seitz-Wald, Alex (March 20, 2021). "Republican Julia Letlow wins special congressional election in Louisiana, NBC News projects". NBC News. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  17. ^ a b "U. S. Representative – 5th Congressional District". Louisiana Secretary of State. March 20, 2021.
  18. ^ "Louisiana Primary Election Results 2021". New York Times. March 20, 2021.
  19. ^ "Louisiana Fifth Congressional District Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  20. ^ "Louisiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2024". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  21. ^ "Roll Call 2 — Election of the Speaker, January 3, 2025". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  22. ^ a b c d e "Julia Letlow — Committee and Subcommittee Assignments". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  23. ^ "Parents Bill of Rights Act". Congress.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  24. ^ "Roll Call 161 (H.R. 5 — On Passage), March 24, 2023". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  25. ^ "H.R.5473 — Farm Rescue Act of 2025". Congress.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  26. ^ "H.R.2979 — BUILD Act of 2025". Congress.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  27. ^ "Pappas, Letlow, Kean Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Small & Rural Departments Upgrade Essential Public Safety Infrastructure". Office of Rep. Chris Pappas. April 21, 2025. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  28. ^ "H.R.2822 — To extend the National Flood Insurance Program through December 31, 2026". Congress.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  29. ^ "Congressional Coalition on Adoption — Membership (117th Congress list)" (PDF). Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. June 23, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  30. ^ "About Climate Solutions Caucus — Member list". U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  31. ^ "Republican Governance Group — Congressional Members". Republican Governance Group. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  32. ^ Thompkins, Jarmarlon (July 21, 2021). "Congresswoman Julia Letlow gives statement on ICE releases". KNOE-TV. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  33. ^ Englander, Tyler (July 7, 2021). "Rep. Letlow talks rural broadband needs, infrastructure bill, COVID vaccine". KNOE-TV. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  34. ^ "Parents Bill of Rights Act (H.R. 5) — 118th Congress". Congress.gov. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  35. ^ "Roll Call 161 — H.R. 5 (On Passage)". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  36. ^ Ballard, Mark (March 24, 2023). "Julia Letlow's Parents Bill of Rights narrowly clears the U.S. House". NOLA.com. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  37. ^ Hilburn, Greg (March 24, 2023). "Louisiana Congresswoman Julia Letlow's Parents Bill of Rights clears House". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  38. ^ "Family obituary for Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, who died from COVID complications". The News-Star. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  39. ^ Sentell, Will (January 21, 2021). "Luke Letlow's widow, Julia, files for his U.S. House seat after his death from coronavirus". The Advocate. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  40. ^ Main, Alison; Kelly, Caroline (March 28, 2021). "'Look at my family. Use my story': Rep.-elect Julia Letlow urges Republicans to get Covid vaccine after husband's death". CNN. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  41. ^ "Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress" (PDF). PEW Research Center. December 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  42. ^ "2022 Official Election Results". Secretary of State of Louisiana. November 8, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  43. ^ "Official Results". voterportal.sos.gov. Louisiana Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 5th congressional district
2021–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
286th 		Succeeded by
  1. ^ Luke Letlow was elected in the 2020 general election, but died before the beginning of the Congressional term.