The 2021 Louisiana's 5th congressional district special election was held on March 20, 2021. It was triggered by the death of Republican congressman-elect Luke Letlow on December 29, 2020, who died from a heart attack while being treated for COVID-19.[2]
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Louisiana's 5th congressional district | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 21.4%[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 Parish results Letlow: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Christophe: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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When congressional seats in Louisiana become vacant, the Governor may call a special election at any time. The special election to fill Louisiana's 5th congressional district took place on March 20, 2021, as stated by Governor John Bel Edwards's office.[3] Luke Letlow's widow, Julia Letlow, won the election with more than 64 percent of the vote.
Background
editCongressional district
editLouisiana's 5th congressional district includes all or part of Avoyelles, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Franklin, Jackson, La Salle Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Rapides, Richland, St. Helena, St. Landry, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Washington, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn parishes. Traditionally conservative, the district has been considered a safe seat for Republicans since Rodney Alexander changed his party affiliation in 2004.[4][5] Although the Democratic Party had an enrollment advantage of 26,719 at the time of the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump won over 64 percent of the district's vote.[6]
2020 election and Letlow's death
editIn February 2020, Ralph Abraham, who had been serving as the district's U.S. Representative since 2015, announced that he would not run for re-election.[7] Abraham's former chief of staff, Luke Letlow, announced his candidacy in the congressional election shortly thereafter, with Abraham publicly endorsing him.[8] Letlow was an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, and he publicly praised his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
In the jungle primary on November 3, Letlow won the most votes, but he was unable to secure a majority, triggering a runoff election against runner-up Lance Harris.[10][11] Letlow defeated Harris in the runoff election on December 5, with 62 percent of the vote.[12] Shortly after his victory in the runoff, Letlow tested positive for COVID-19, and he was hospitalized the following day.[13][14] Letlow's condition worsened, and he was moved to the intensive care unit where he died days later on December 29, less than a week before he was scheduled to be sworn into office.[15][16]
Candidates
editDemocratic Party
editDeclared
editWithdrawn
edit- Jessica Honsinger Hollister, actress[19]
Republican Party
editDeclared
edit- Chad Conerly, finance professional[20]
- Allen Guillory, candidate for this seat in 2020[21]
- Robert Lansden, attorney[20]
- Julia Letlow, administrative executive assistant at University of Louisiana at Monroe and widow of U.S. representative-elect Luke Letlow[17][22]
- Jaycee Magnuson[20]
- Horace Melton III[20]
- Richard H. Pannell[20]
- Sancha Smith, political organizer[20]
- Errol Victor Sr., pastor[20]
Declined
edit- Ralph Abraham, former U.S. Representative and candidate for Governor of Louisiana in 2019[3]
- Stewart Cathey, state senator[23][22] (endorsed Julia Letlow)[24][22]
- Michael Echols, state representative[17][22]
- Lance Harris, state representative and candidate for this seat in 2020[25]
- Mike Johnson, state representative[22]
- Scotty Robinson, Ouachita Parish Police Juror and candidate for this seat in 2020[17][22]
No party affiliation
editDeclared
editEndorsements
editJulia Letlow (R)
Former U.S. Executive Branch Officials
- Nikki Haley, 29th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (2017–2018) and 116th governor of South Carolina (2011–2017)[26]
- Mike Pence, 48th vice president of the United States (2017–2021)[26]
- Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States (2017–2021)[26][27]
U.S. Senators
- John Kennedy, U.S. Senator from Louisiana (2017–present)[28]
U.S. Representatives
- Kevin McCarthy, U.S. Representative from CA-23 (2013–present), House Majority Leader (2014-2019), House Minority Leader (2019–present)[29]
- Steve Scalise, U.S. Representative from LA-01 (2008–present), House Majority Whip (2014-2019), House Minority Whip (2019-present)[26]
Organizations
Candy Christophe (D)
Organizations
Jungle primary
editPredictions
edit| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[33] | Solid R | March 19, 2021 |
| Inside Elections[34] | Solid R | March 19, 2021 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[35] | Safe R | March 18, 2021 |
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Julia Letlow | 67,203 | 64.86 | |
| Democratic | Sandra 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. 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 | ||||
By parish
edit| Parish | Julia Letlow Republican |
Sandra Christophe Democratic |
Chad Conerly Republican |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Avoyelles | 3,053 | 63.7 | 1,189 | 24.8 | 430 | 9.0 | 123 | 2.5 | 1,864 | 38.9 | 4,795 |
| Caldwell | 1,426 | 83.0 | 204 | 11.9 | 57 | 3.3 | 31 | 1.8 | 1,222 | 71.1 | 1,718 |
| Catahoula | 1,197 | 67.0 | 489 | 27.4 | 72 | 4.0 | 28 | 1.6 | 708 | 39.6 | 1,786 |
| Concordia | 1,797 | 68.5 | 715 | 27.3 | 78 | 3.0 | 33 | 1.3 | 1,082 | 41.3 | 2,623 |
| East Carroll | 483 | 48.9 | 469 | 47.5 | 21 | 2.1 | 15 | 1.5 | 14 | 1.4 | 988 |
| East Feliciana | 682 | 45.0 | 696 | 45.9 | 98 | 6.5 | 41 | 2.6 | –14 | 0.9 | 1,517 |
| Franklin | 2,681 | 79.7 | 509 | 15.1 | 130 | 3.9 | 40 | 1.3 | 2,172 | 64.6 | 3,363 |
| Grant | 2,346 | 78.8 | 328 | 11.0 | 199 | 6.7 | 106 | 3.5 | 2,018 | 67.8 | 2,979 |
| Jackson | 1,900 | 70.2 | 678 | 25.1 | 79 | 2.9 | 48 | 1.8 | 1,222 | 45.1 | 2,705 |
| La Salle | 2,189 | 86.9 | 157 | 6.2 | 119 | 4.7 | 55 | 2.2 | 2,032 | 80.7 | 2,520 |
| Lincoln | 4,515 | 67.0 | 1,968 | 29.2 | 131 | 1.9 | 128 | 1.9 | 2,547 | 37.8 | 6,742 |
| Madison | 722 | 47.9 | 666 | 44.2 | 57 | 3.8 | 62 | 4.1 | 56 | 3.7 | 1,507 |
| Morehouse | 2,442 | 55.5 | 1,711 | 38.9 | 92 | 2.1 | 158 | 3.5 | 731 | 16.6 | 4,403 |
| Ouachita | 14,821 | 67.2 | 6,174 | 28.0 | 607 | 2.8 | 442 | 2.0 | 8,647 | 39.2 | 22,044 |
| Rapides | 10,373 | 62.3 | 5,086 | 30.5 | 739 | 4.4 | 463 | 2.8 | 5,287 | 31.8 | 16,661 |
| Richland | 3,310 | 77.6 | 826 | 19.4 | 84 | 2.0 | 48 | 1.0 | 2,484 | 58.2 | 4,268 |
| St. Helena | 220 | 43.9 | 140 | 27.9 | 134 | 26.7 | 7 | 1.5 | 60 | 16.0 | 501 |
| St. Landry | 3,316 | 54.1 | 2,169 | 35.4 | 267 | 4.4 | 381 | 6.1 | 1,147 | 18.7 | 6,133 |
| Tangipahoa | 2,147 | 48.4 | 1,019 | 23.0 | 1,102 | 24.9 | 166 | 3.7 | 1,045 | 23.5 | 4,434 |
| Tensas | 532 | 53.4 | 417 | 41.9 | 25 | 2.5 | 22 | 2.5 | 115 | 11.5 | 996 |
| Washington | 3,092 | 58.1 | 1,576 | 29.6 | 532 | 10.0 | 126 | 2.3 | 1,516 | 28.5 | 5,326 |
| West Carroll | 1,197 | 75.5 | 155 | 9.8 | 205 | 12.9 | 28 | 1.8 | 992 | 62.6 | 1,585 |
| West Feliciana | 998 | 58.3 | 533 | 31.1 | 132 | 7.7 | 49 | 2.9 | 465 | 27.2 | 1,712 |
| Winn | 1,764 | 76.4 | 381 | 16.5 | 107 | 4.6 | 58 | 2.5 | 1,383 | 59.9 | 2,310 |
| Total | 67,203 | 64.86% | 28,255 | 27.27% | 5,497 | 5.31% | 2,658 | 2.56% | 38,948 | 37.59% | 103,616 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "U. S. Representative -- 5th Congressional District". Louisiana Secretary of State. March 20, 2021.
- ^ Jim Acosta, Jamie Gangel and Paul LeBlanc (December 30, 2020). "Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies after battling Covid-19". CNN. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ a b Hilburn, Greg. "Here's how the late Luke Letlow's congressional seat will be filled following his COVID death". The News-Star. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ Pathe, Simone (March 21, 2021). "Replacing husband who died from Covid-19, Julia Letlow hopes to bring her own experience to Congress". CNN. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Cillizza, Chris (August 7, 2013). "Rodney Alexander retired from Congress yesterday. Here's why you should care". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ "Statewide Report of Registered Voters" (PDF). Secretary of State of Louisiana. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Cioffi, Chris (February 26, 2020). "Louisiana Rep. Ralph Abraham won't seek reelection". Roll Call. FiscalNote. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Hillburn, Greg (March 9, 2020). "Luke Letlow joins congressional race; has backing of Congressman Ralph Abraham". The News-Star. Gannett. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Polman, Dick (January 2, 2021). "Polman: A young, healthy Republican spoke at a maskless rally, then died". The Ledger. Gannett. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Louisiana Election Results: Fifth Congressional District". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Steven Maxwell and Brooke Buford (November 24, 2020). "State Rep. Lance Harris discusses Letlow debate, return to Phase 2". KALB-TV. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Deslatte, Melinda (December 6, 2020). "Luke Letlow wins all-GOP runoff for Louisiana US House seat". Associated Press. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Hillburn, Greg (December 18, 2020). "Republican Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow tests positive for COVID-19". Monroe News-Star. Gannett. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Hillburn, Greg (December 19, 2020). "Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow hospitalized as COVID symptoms persist". Monroe News-Star. Gannett. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Reimann, Nicholas (December 23, 2020). "Republican Congressman-Elect Luke Letlow, 41, Transferred To ICU With Covid". Forbes. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Helsel, Phil (December 29, 2020). "Rep.-elect Luke Letlow dies from Covid complications days before being sworn in". NBC News. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Hilburn, Greg (January 4, 2021). "Wife of late Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow considers running for vacant seat". The News-Star. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ Thompkins, Jarmarlon; Segura, Matthew (January 5, 2021). "Candy Christophe announces run for Louisiana's 5th Congressional District". KNOE-TV. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Gibson, Kaitlyn (February 3, 2021). "What's on the ballot for Louisiana's March election?". KSLA . Retrieved February 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "A look at Louisiana candidates signed up for March election". Associated Press. January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=199932398486245&id=107722267707259 [user-generated source]
- ^ a b c d e f Hilburn, Greg (January 14, 2021). "Julia Letlow, widow of U.S. Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, will run for Congress". The News-Star. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ "State Sen. Stewart Cathey won't run for 5th Congressional District seat". www.msn.com. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ^ "I'm grateful to have the support of my friend, @stewartcatheyjr!". Twitter.com. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ My Decision Not To Run, retrieved March 21, 2021
- ^ a b c d "Republican Julia Letlow wins Louisiana congressional seat originally won by her late husband, CBS News projects". CBS News. March 20, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "Former President Trump endorses Julia Letlow for District 5 congressional race". March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy endorses Julia Letlow in 5th Congressional District race". March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ Crisp, Elizabeth (February 9, 2021). "Weeks After Luke Letlow's Death, His Wife Julia Letlow Is the Frontrunner to Replace Him in Congress". Newsweek. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ "NFIB Endorses Julia Letlow For Congress In LA-05 Special Election". March 9, 2021.
- ^ Hilburn, Greg (January 30, 2021). "Louis Gurvich retains control of Louisiana GOP, which endorses Julia Letlow for Congress". The News-Star. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ "Louisiana Democrats Endorse Candy Christophe for 5th Congressional District seat". Kalb. February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Dave Wasserman (March 19, 2021). "Race to Replace Wright in TX-06 Heats Up". Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ "House Ratings". The Rothenberg Political Report. March 19, 2021. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Coleman, J. Miles (March 18, 2021). "How Mid-Decade Redistrictings Saved the Democratic House Majority". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
External links
editOfficial campaign websites
- Sandra "Candy" Christophe (D) for Congress Archived April 17, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
- Chad Conerly (R) for Congress Archived January 26, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
- Robert Lansden (R) for Congress
- Julia Letlow (R) for Congress
- Jaycee Magnuson (R) for Congress
- M. V. "Vinny" Mendoza (I) for Congress
- Sancha Smith (R) for Congress
- Errol Victor Sr. (R) for Congress Archived February 15, 2021, at the Wayback Machine