Julia Letlow

Julia Janelle Letlow ( ; née Barnhill; born March 16, 1981) is an American politician and academic administrator serving as the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 5th congressional district since 2021. Letlow is the first Republican woman to represent Louisiana in the House.

After receiving an early endorsement from Donald Trump, Letlow announced her candidacy in the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Louisiana, challenging Republican incumbent Bill Cassidy in the primary. Letlow would then go on to win the runoff, defeating state Treasurer John Fleming to win the Republican nomination.

Early life and career Letlow was born Julia Janelle Barnhill on March 16, 1981, in Monroe, Louisiana. She was the middle child of Terry and Kathi Arneson Barnhill. Her father is an investment adviser. Her mother is a former flight attendant. She graduated from Ouachita Christian High School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in speech communications from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in communications from the University of South Florida in 2012. Her doctoral advisor was Jane Jorgenson. Letlow's dissertation was titled Giving Meaning to Grief: the Role of Rituals and Stories in Coping with Sudden Family Loss. She dedicated it to her brother, Jeremy, who died in a car crash.

Letlow worked as director of education and patient safety for Tulane University School of Medicine. In 2018, she was named director of external affairs and strategic communications for the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). In 2020, she was a finalist for the presidency of ULM.

U.S. House of Representatives Elections 2021 special

Letlow's husband, Luke Letlow, was elected to the United States House of Representatives for in the 2020 elections, but died from COVID-19 in December 2020, before taking office. Julia decided to run in the special election for the vacant seat in January 2021. During her campaign, she secured a number of high-profile endorsements, including one from former President Donald Trump. By the end of February, Letlow had raised $683,000, the most money raised by any candidate in the race. On March 20, she received over 64% of the vote in the nonpartisan blanket primary, winning the election outright and avoiding a runoff.

2022

Letlow won reelection outright in 2022, winning 67% of the vote against three opponents.

2024 Letlow won reelection outright in Louisiana's November 5, 2024, primary with 62.9% of the vote against Michael Vallien Jr. and M. V. "Vinny" Mendoza.

Tenure She was sworn in on April 14, 2021.

Committee assignments Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies

In the 119th Congress, she sponsored the Farm Rescue Act of 2025 (H.R. 5473) to authorize advance partial Price Loss Coverage payments for the 2025 crop year; the bill was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture on September 18, 2025.

Letlow also co-led the bipartisan BUILD Act of 2025 (H.R. 2979) to support infrastructure investment for small law-enforcement and fire departments, and introduced H.R. 2822 to extend the National Flood Insurance Program through December 31, 2026.

Caucus memberships Congressional Coalition on Adoption Climate Solutions Caucus Republican Governance Group

2026 U.S. Senate campaign

On January 20, 2026, Letlow announced that she would run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, challenging Republican incumbent Bill Cassidy. She won Trump's endorsement and defeated Cassidy in the primary, advancing to a runoff with state Treasurer John Fleming. On June 27, 2026, she defeated Fleming in the runoff and won the Republican nomination. If elected, she will become the first Republican woman in the U.S. Senate representing Louisiana.

Political positions

Immigration Letlow released a statement criticizing the Biden administration for "immigration detainees being released" in Louisiana, writing, "I join my fellow members of the Louisiana delegation in demanding a thorough and complete explanation of this situation and urge the Administration to stop these releases immediately".

Infrastructure In July 2021, Letlow told KNOE-TV that there was "Nothing like a pandemic to bring to light how vital rural broadband is to our district", and said that rural broadband can provide better access to quality healthcare and education. Of the infrastructure plan proposed by Joe Biden, Letlow said, "You know, it's the political football...I really want to make sure that that infrastructure bill addresses true infrastructure needs. Roads, bridges, ports, rural broadband. Cut the other part out."

Iran war In March 2026, Letlow opposed a war powers resolution that would have limited the 2026 Iran war. She voted against another war powers resolution on the Iran war in June 2026.

2020 presidential election Letlow said she would have joined the majority of Republican representatives in objecting to the results of the 2020 presidential election in Congress had she been in office at the time. The bill would give parents more oversight over what is taught in public schools. It would require school districts to make curricula public, provide parents with information on available library materials, allow parents to address school boards, require public disclosure of school budgets, and require parental consent prior to any physical or mental medical exams taking place at school.

Personal life Julia went to high school with Luke Letlow in the late 1990s; they married in 2013. Letlow addressed vaccine hesitancy among Republicans and encouraged them to get the COVID-19 vaccine, invoking her husband's death from the virus. In 2025, Letlow announced her engagement to Kevin Ainsworth, a lawyer and lobbyist from Baton Rouge.

Letlow is a Presbyterian.

Electoral history