Republican's widow wins his seat in Congress -- after he dies of COVID before being sworn-in: report

Republican Julia Letlow made history on Saturday as the first woman ever elected to Congress from the state of Louisiana.

Letlow's late husband Luke won the seat in November, but died of coronavirus before he could be sworn in.

"Endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Letlow was favored to win Louisiana's heavily Republican 5th Congressional District, but she managed to avoid a runoff election by surpassing the 50 percent threshold," NBC News reported Saturday evening. "Trump, through his PAC, released a statement Saturday afternoon urging voters to turn out for Letlow, saying 'she will never disappoint' and 'is outstanding and so necessary to help save our Second Amendment, at the Border, and for our Military and Vets.'"

Axios also projected Letlow the winner.

"The big picture: Letlow's race is not the only special election in 2021 that's been prompted by a member of Congress passing from COVID-19," Axios noted. "Rep. Ron Wright (R-TX) also passed in February from COVID-19. His wife, Susan Wright, is similarly running to take his seat."