Julia Letlow

Letlow was born in Monroe, Louisiana, and attended Ouachita Christian High School there. She earned a B.A. (2002) and an M.A. (2005) in speech communication from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a doctorate in communication from the University of South Florida in 2011.⁠[1][2]

At the Tulane University School of Medicine, Letlow served as director of education, director of resident patient safety and quality improvement, and clinical instructor of anesthesiology; she also taught as an instructor or teaching associate at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Tulane University and the University of South Florida.⁠[2]

At the University of Louisiana at Monroe she was director of marketing and communications, executive director of external affairs and strategic communications from 2018 to 2019, and ombudsperson and special projects coordinator for the provost and vice president of academic affairs, helping develop the university’s strategic plan.⁠[2]

Letlow won a special election for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District with 65 percent of the vote and took office in April 2021; the seat had been won by her husband, Luke Letlow, who died before taking office. She was the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Louisiana and the first woman to represent the state in the House in 30 years.⁠[2][3]

She was subsequently re-elected and served in the 117th, 118th and 119th Congresses. She sits on the House Appropriations Committee, including its subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and National Security and the Department of State, and on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.⁠[1][2]

In January 2026 President Donald Trump encouraged Letlow to challenge incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy. She was endorsed by Trump and supported by Governor Jeff Landry and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.⁠[3][4]

In the May 16 Republican primary Letlow received 44.8% of the vote to 28.3% for State Treasurer John Fleming and 24.8% for Cassidy, who was eliminated; in the June 27 runoff she defeated Fleming with 56.9% to win the Republican nomination, as called by the Associated Press.⁠[3][4]

Letlow’s campaign focused on border security, domestic energy, lowering costs for families and parental involvement in education. In the November 3 general election she received 745,963 votes (51%) to 720,106 (49%) for Democrat Jamie Davis; the Associated Press declared her the winner early on November 4, and CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news organization of the U.S. CBS system, part of Paramount, providing news coverage through television, the web and streaming. Its history extends from radio newsgathering to television and digital platforms; its signature programs include CBS Evening News, 60 Minutes and Face the Nation, and CBS News 24/7 is its streaming news service.Open the full entry projected the same result.⁠[3][5][6][7]

She succeeds Cassidy and is the second woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Louisiana, after Democrat Mary Landrieu; her six-year term begins in January 2027. After her victory she said, “For the next six years, I will spend every single day trying to earn your trust.”⁠[3][6][8]

Office of U.S. Representative Julia Letlow: Official website: https://letlow.house.gov/ (opens in a new window).⁠[2]

X: Public account: https://x.com/repjulialetlow (opens in a new window).⁠[2]

YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/repjulialetlow (opens in a new window).⁠[2]