Luke Letlow and Wife Julia Barnhill Letlow (Photo: Facebook)

About Julia Janelle Barnhill
Age43 Years
BirthMarch 16, 1981 Louisiana
GenderFemale
SpouseLuke Letlow 27th April 2013
ChildrenJeremiah (born 21st Sep 2017), Jacqueline (born Feb 2020)
SiblingsJeremy, April
ParentsTerry Barnhill, Kathi Barnhill
AlumniOuachita Christian School, University of South Florida
Works ForPresident for External Affairs and Community Outreach as Executive Assistant
Worked forTulane University as clinical instructor (2011-13)

Congressman-elect Luke Letlow from Louisiana passed away on December 29, 2020. He was 41. Then a newly-elected congressman, he is survived by his wife, Julia Barnhill Letlow, and their children. Now Julia Letlow has won a special election in 2021 to replace her deceased husband in Congress. Julia and Luke were together for many years and had supported each other through their respective careers. Luke Letlow’s widow now hopes to continue her husband’s work, and also has the attention of the country as she takes on her new role. This Julia Barnhill Letlow wiki reveals more about her marriage and her career.

Julia Barnhill Letlow’s Family

Julia Janelle Barnhill was born on March 16, 1981 in Louisiana. She hails from Monroe, Louisiana, where her family is from.

Julia is one of three children born to Terry and Kathi Barnhill. Terry Barnhill is from Mississippi and worked at Xerox and Merrill Lynch.

Julia grew up alongside her sister, April, and brother, Jeremy. April Barnhill Rodgers is married and a mom. She is the president of the Jeremy Barnhill Foundation for Christian Teens.

Jeremy Barnhill was only 17 when he died in a car accident in 2002. April and her family started the foundation in his name to provide financial assistance to teenagers.

Julia Barnhill Letlow’s Career

After graduating from Ouachita Christian School, Julia Barnhill majored in speech communications at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She earned her BA in 1999 and her MA in 2005.

Barnhill lived in Florida where she was working on her doctorate at the University of South Florida. She earned her PhD in communication in 2011.

Julia Barnhill has been an educator during her career. She was a teaching associate during her time at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and at the University of South Florida. At Monroe, she also served as an ombudsperson/special projects coordinator for almost four years.

After earning her doctorate, she returned to Louisiana where she served as the director of education, director of resident patient safety and quality improvement, and clinical instructor at Tulane University from 2011 to 2013. She returned to her alma mater in Monroe in 2014, where she continues to work as an instructor.

From 2015 to 2018, she was the director of marketing and communications at Monroe. From 2018 to 2019, she served as the executive director of external affairs & strategic communications. Since 2019, she has been the executive assistant to the president for external affairs and community outreach.

Julia Letlow Fills Luke Letlow’s Congress Seat

Julia Letlow is perhaps the one who knew Luke Letlow’s goals best. So it’s no surprise that she won her late husband’s seat in Congress in a special election on March 20, 2021.

Letlow garnered immense support for her campaign through fundraising and endorsements. Former President Donald Trump also endorsed the congressman’s widow.

She won a reported 62% of the vote in the 12-way race to replace her husband’s seat. Her election win brings the number of Republican women in Congress to 31.

Julia Barnhill and Luke Letlow’s Relationship

Both Barnhill and Letlow were graduates of Ouachita Christian School. They were engaged in 2013 and got married on April 27, 2013. Julia and Luke had celebrated seven years of marriage in 2020.

Julia and Luke Letlow welcomed their first child, a boy they named Jeremiah, on September 21, 2017. Their second child, Jacqueline, was born in February 2020.

Luke Letlow won the 5th Congressional District on December 5. The Congressman-elect announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 on December 18, mere days before he would be sworn in.

He initially quarantined at their family residence in Richland Parish. When his symptoms persisted, he was transferred to Ochsner-LSU Health in Shreveport on December 23. He passed away on December 29 at the age of 41.

The LSU Health Shreveport chancellor stated Letlow died from a heart attack following a procedure related to the infection. He is survived by his wife Julia and their three-year-old son and 11-month-old daughter.

Julia and the family have received a flood of condolences. She thanked everyone for their support and is providing updates on Luke Letlow’s official social profiles.

In Julia Letlow’s campaign bio spot, she said: “While losing Luke has been devastating, I know that two things can be true at the same time.” She further added, “A person can be full of grief while still having hope for the future.”