Rep. Thierry, Ledricka (D)
District# 40, Opelousas

• District # 40: House District 1
• Party: Democrat
• Caucus Membership: Acadiana Delegation
  Democratic Caucus
  Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus
• Occupation: Attorney
• Education: Southern University, 1999; Southern University Law School, J.D., 2003
• Spouse: Travis
• Year Elected: 2009
• Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2020
• 2007 Election
  

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• Economic: Interstate 49 cuts a path through District 40, which includes portions of St. Landry Parish. Opelousas is the district seat, while practically everything else surrounding the city can be categorized as smaller, less-populated towns that have become, in recent years, bedrooms communities for Lafayette.
  
  With little industry, these towns, villages and hamlets, particularly Grand Coteau and Sunset, have become popular destinations for weekend antique shoppers and B&B fans. So it should be no surprise that the largest economic force in the district is the Wal-Mart Distribution Center located along I-49 in Opelousas. It supports more than 1,300 jobs and has an estimated economic impact of $90 million annually on the region. The Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino in Opelousas, which relocated from Carencro in 2003, draws gamblers and horse racing enthusiasts to its 24-hour facility. It also provides 750 jobs.
  
  Some agriculture has survived and flourished in the district, like the traditional rice and crawfish, while timber, cotton and grain have slightly diminished. But the most popular homegrown product is unarguably the sweet potato, which has suffered from production declines in recent years – even as the annual Yambilee Festival grows in popularity.
  
  Social: Per capita, Opelousas and its surrounding areas are amongst the poorest spots in the state. Tackling unemployment and education continue to dominate local leaders’ agendas, with some success. A low literacy rate and poor infrastructure, however, are major hurdles for businesses wishing to locate to the area.
  
  Political: About 57 percent of the district’s voters are African-American and 73 percent are registered Democrats. As such, the district has long been a stronghold for Democrats. That isn’t expected to change, bar a redistricting surprise, but voting trends are beginning to reflect a more conservative population as Republicans from Lafayette relocate further south.

• Ledricka Johnson Thierry, a Democrat, is the first woman to hold the House District 40 seat. An Opelousas-based attorney, Thierry has a long history of public service in the community and has made a name for herself by advocating on behalf of volunteer professionals, like firefighters and reserve policeman. A true red-shirt freshman who was elected in 2009, Thierry has yet to serve in her first session. But she has already branded her district office as a “service-oriented” hub for the community and has vowed to increase funding, programs and support for local teachers, school support personnel, farmers and young people. In that vein, she has promised to be a solid yea vote on pay raises.
  
  Her top priority, however, from a policy perspective will be infrastructure, with an eye to securing funding for surface roads in her district. While she doesn’t have any committee assignments yet, Thierry has obtained membership in the Acadiana Delegation, Democratic Caucus and Louisiana Legislative Women's Caucus. She’s expected to take an interest in natural resources issues as well and will serve on the Atchafalaya Basin Program Oversight Committee.
  
  During her short time as an elected official, Thierry has become heavily involved in the planned 60-bed juvenile holding facility that’s slated for St. Landry Parish. The Office of Juvenile Justice is pouring $20 million into the facility and Thierry has become a local facilitator. The experiences could lead Thierry to play a role in juvenile justice issues in the future. As for other campaign issues that Thierry expressed a desire to work on for her district are libraries; tutoring programs; early childhood education; youth recreational centers; programs for senior citizens; crime prevention; and assistance for agricultural families.