Louisiana state Rep. Julie Emerson , R-Carencro, announced Monday that she is running for the U.S. Senate, giving Sen. Bill Cassidy another prominent challenger.

Emerson, 37, is chair of the influential House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees legislation concerning taxes and major state construction projects.

She sponsored several prominent bills in recent sessions, including flattening the corporate income tax rate , ending the corporate franchise tax, and creating LA GATOR , a program backed by Gov. Jeff Landry that gives parents money to help pay for private school.

She also sponsored the legislation that moved Louisiana to a closed party primary system, in which the Republican and Democratic candidates compete for their party's nomination before the general election.

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