BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Republican Julia Letlow has won a special election for the U.S. House seat her husband, Luke, couldn’t fill because of his death from COVID-19 complications.

Julia Letlow easily defeated 11 opponents Saturday to claim the 5th District seat representing northeast and central Louisiana.

She’s the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Louisiana.

The race for Louisiana’s other vacant U.S. House seat representing a New Orleans-based district will head to an April 24 runoff between two Democratic state senators from the city.

Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson were the top vote-getters among 15 contenders. Democrat Cedric Richmond left the position to work for President Joe Biden.

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