Trump boosts Julia Letlow ahead of Louisiana special election

Former President Trump boosted Republican Julia Letlow ahead of a special House election in Louisiana to fill the seat of her late husband, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow (R), who died in December due to complications from COVID-19.

Julia Letlow is the front-runner in the race in the state’s 5th Congressional District, which Trump won by 30 points in both 2016 and 2020.

“Julia Letlow is outstanding and so necessary to help save our Second Amendment, at the Border, and for our Military and Vets. Louisiana, get out and vote today—she will never disappoint!” Trump said in a statement on Saturday.

The former president first endorsed Letlow earlier this month. Letlow has cast her campaign as a continuation of the one her late husband ran last year when he was elected to replace retiring Rep. Ralph Abraham (R).

“I am running to continue the mission Luke started — to stand up for our Christian values, to fight for our rural agricultural communities and to deliver real results to move our state forward,” she said in a statement in January announcing her campaign.

Letlow is running against at least eight other Republicans in the race. According to state law, all candidates for a seat compete in the same primary regardless of party, and the race goes to a runoff if no candidate gets at least 50 percent of the vote. However, Letlow is expected to win the seat outright on Saturday.

Trump’s touting of his support comes as he looks to establish himself as a GOP kingmaker. He’s recently engaged in a fundraising spat with arms of the Republican Party, and backing a winning candidate in the first race he’s involved himself in could help bolster his argument that the path to victory for candidates across the country runs through him.