The newly elected congressman from Northeast Louisiana, Republican Ralph Abraham, has named the manager of his successful campaign, Luke Letlow, as chief of staff for his U.S. House office in Washington.
Letlow, of Start, worked in government relations for a Denver energy company before joining the Abraham campaign in June. He previously served as the director of intergovernmental affairs for Gov. Bobby Jindal in 2008-2010 and before that as Jindal's congressional district director when Jindal represented Southeast Louisiana in the U.S. House in 2005-08.
Abraham easily defeated Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo, a Democrat, in the Dec. 6 runoff to replace U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister, R-Swartz.
McAllister won the seat in a special election in 2013 but was damaged early this year by the public release of a videotape showing him passionately kissing a female staff member in his district office; both McAllister and the staff member are married, but not to each other.
McAllister was eliminated in the Nov. 4 primary by failing to finish first or second.