Out of all the election results in last Tuesday’s election, New Iberia’s District 4 could have arguably been the biggest upset in the Teche Area when political newcomer Deedy Johnson-Reid became the city’s new councilwoman.
Johnson-Reid recently moved back to New Iberia after spending years away, and said from the outset of her campaign that she was focused on revitalizing the city. Election night was a special moment for the councilwoman-elect, and Johnson-Reid said she is excited about what is to come with her first term.
How confident were you going into election night?
I never count my chickens before they hatch. I decided I was going to work until the very end, I was getting a lot of positive feedback but I just kept working until election day. Election night was good, I was getting a lot of good feedback. We were watching the numbers come in and people were getting excited, I told them to wait until it was official. Once it became official it was a great celebration. There weren’t a lot of people because of COVID, but some family members came from out of town so we made it a special moment.
Do you have any plans before you get sworn in?
Yes, I’m planning an event for some of the kids in the community pretty soon. I’m starting to meet with some community leaders in the district to hear their concerns in a more formal setting. Before I was hearing them on the campaign trail, so I want to take some time to understand their issues. I want to put together a priority list and try to organize some of the community members to address some of the concerns. Some of them are are just community related issues where they just need people to get together and I hope to be a conduit for that.
What are you most excited about in terms of becoming a councilwoman?
I think what I’m most excited about is just the opportunity to move this district forward. We’re putting together programs for the children, trying to get the district on the straight and narrow and helping people learn more about things like financial literacy and other issues.
