Julia Letlow wins Louisiana’s 5th District special election while 2nd District goes to runoff, CNN projects

Republican Julia Letlow will win the special election in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District, CNN projects.

Letlow will take the seat that her late husband Luke, who won last year’s election but died in December after being diagnosed with Covid-19, was never able to hold.

She will make history as the first Republican woman to represent the state in Congress.

A number of prominent Republicans rallied behind her after she announced her campaign for the seat. Former President Donald Trump, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and Louisiana GOP Rep. Steve Scalise — the No. 2 House Republican — all endorsed her out of the nine Republicans running for the seat.

Letlow, a first-time candidate, will avoid a runoff because she secured a majority among the 12-person field.

Runoff in 2nd District

Democrats Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson will advance to an April 24 runoff in the special election for Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, CNN projects.

The winner of the runoff will fill the seat vacated by Democrat Cedric Richmond, who resigned in January to join the Biden administration.

Carter and Carter Peterson, who are not related, are both Louisiana state senators representing New Orleans.

Carter is the senate minority leader and received Richmond’s endorsement before he resigned from Congress. Carter Peterson served in the Louisiana House for a decade before joining the Senate in 2010 and has also served as vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee.

Carter Peterson finished with the second-most votes, receiving about 1,400 more votes than Democrat Gary Chambers, Jr., as of late Saturday night.

This story has been updated with a projection for the 2nd District.