Elected Congressman Luke Letlow died Tuesday night in a Louisiana hospital from complications due to the coronavirus after being hospitalized for 11 days. He was 41.
Letlow was a few days past when he was sworn in as the U.S. Representative for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District as the state’s youngest congressman.
His death was announced via spokesman Andrew Bautsch in a statement published to Facebook.
“The family appreciates the numerous prayers and support over the past few days, but asks for privacy during this difficult and unexpected time,” Bautsch said.
On December 18, Letlow announced via Twitter that he had tested positive for the virus and that he would isolate himself.
His condition appears to have deteriorated rapidly when he was admitted to hospital the next day.
In a work on last week, GE Ghali, the chancellor of LSU Health Shreveport, said Letlow is in a stable condition in an intensive care unit, where he is receiving steroids and the antiviral drugs are being inhibited.
Ghali told The Advocate that Letlow has no underlying health conditions.
Letlow won a run-off election on December 6 to replace the outgoing Republican Ralph Abraham, for whom he previously served as chief of staff.
During his campaign he regularly shared photos of himself at small outdoor gatherings, sometimes with a mask and sometimes not.
His passing was mourned by other Republican lawmakers from Louisiana.
Louis Bel Governor John Bel Edwards ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in the state to commemorate Letlow.
“COVID-19 took Congressman Letlow from us way too soon,” Bel Edwards said on Twitter. “I’m sad that he can not serve our people as an American representative, but I’m even more devastated about his loving family.”
Letlow is survived by his wife and two young children.