Iberia Parish School Board member Raymond “Shoe-Do” Lewis, of District 5 said he will run for District 96 of the state House of Representatives.

Lewis is serving his first term on the School Board and before served two terms as a New Iberia City Councilman. He said that is what makes him unique from other candidates.

“What separates me from the rest of the candidates is simply that I was elected to two different forms of government,” he said.

Similar to serving in the state House, his duties were to “to legislate and budgetary.” His three priorities are education, health care and creating jobs, he said.

District 96 was created during the legislative redistricting session in the spring. The district covers portions of Lafayette Parish including Broussard and into St. Martin Parish covering portions of Breaux Bridge and a majority of St. Martinville. It trickles into Iberia Parish and then expands to cover nearly all of Spanish Lake, the Acadiana Regional Airport and into New Iberia’s West End.

Lewis, 48, said one of his priorities is working to rehabilitate St. Martin-ville, which he said has been suffering economically for the past decade.

“When I look at the city of New Iberia, the city of Broussard, when I look at the city of Breaux Bridge and northeast Lafayette, they are economically doing well,” he said. “But when I look at St. Martinville there is nothing economically going on there. For the past 10 years, St. Martinville has been left on life support. I want to come to show them how to breathe on their own again, breathe some life again.”

So far, six candidates have announced their candidacy for the House seat including Breaux Bridge resident Vincent Alexander, New Iberia native Terry Landry, Chief Nary Smith Jr. of St. Martinville, Richard Potier pf Breaux Bridge and Eric Martin of St. Martinville.

Qualifying is Sept 6-8. Election day is Oct. 22.