Former U.S. Senate candidate Val Senegal, a St. Landry Parish native, has announced she will run in the fall election for the District 40 House of Representatives seat being vacated by Rep. Ledricka Johnson Tierry, who will seak the District 24 Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Elbert Guillory.
A former AmeriCorps member who hold a bachelor’s degree from UL Lafayette and a master’s degree from Northwestern State, Senegal was one of several long-shot candidates in last year’s Senate race that ultimately crowned Bill Cassidy. In addition to her term with AmeriCorps, Senegal cites her “10 years of experience in working with federal and state government,” including in public housing and community revitalization, as qualifications for the seat.
“My vision and plans have not changed since the last election,” Senegal says in a press release touting her candidacy. “There are still a lot of issues that need to be addressed — expanding Medicaid to decrease the number of uninsured individuals in Louisiana; alleviating our seniors’ worries regarding their pensions/Social Security, food and housing; improving our education system with more emphasis on school choice; and expanding our agriculture and small business industries.”