LAFAYETTE PARISH — As election results rolled in across the state this weekend, one legislative race never made it to the ballot. That’s because only one candidate qualified to run in House District 45: Annie Wingate-Spell, a Lafayette native, who will now assume the seat formerly held by newly elected State Sen. Brach Myers.
For Wingate-Spell, this political milestone marks far more than a career shift. A survivor of stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she said her journey through illness reshaped her priorities and deepened her commitment to serving others.
“This is about using the time I’ve been given to make a real difference,” she said. “Surviving cancer taught me that all we really have is time—so I ask myself every day, ‘What can I do today with it?’ Public service became the next step.”
Though this is her first term in elected office, public service runs in her blood. She follows in the footsteps of her grandfather, Allen Babineaux, who served as both a state representative and a judge for the 15th Judicial District before his passing in 2004. His legacy, she said, shaped her path.
In her first days in office, Wingate-Spell—who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology—has already begun making her mark. One of her initial actions was presenting a resolution on behalf of the Louisiana Counselors Association.
As she takes her seat in the Capitol, Wingate-Spell said she’s focused on creating policies rooted in empathy, equity, and lived experience.
“This isn’t just policy for me—it’s personal,” she said.
