Washington Parish Councilman Chuck Nassauer announced his candidacy Thursday for the Louisiana House of Representatives, District 75 seat.

Nassauer, a native of Bogalusa, graduated from Bogalusa High School and earned his undergraduate degree from LSU. He subsequently received his Doctorate of Optometry degree from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis. Nassauer continued his training with an externship at Coastal Family Health Center in Biloxi, Miss., followed by additional training at the Williamson Eye Institute in Baton Rouge, where he was certified in opthalmic therapeutics. He was also certified to perform optometric surgical procedures at the Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry.

Nassauer returned to his hometown of Bogalusa and has provided primary eye care for the Washington Parish community for 30 years. He is the owner of All Care Eye Center.

Nassauer was elected to the Washington Parish Council in 1999 and has served four terms on the council. He was elected and served as chairman of the parish council for two years and has worked on the parish Infrastructure Committee, Health Care Committee, and as chairman of the Solid Waste Committee.

He has served in Baton Rouge as a legislative keyperson for the Optometry Association of Louisiana and in Washington, D.C., for the American Optometry Association for 20 years focusing on legislation to assure funding and accessibility for health care in the rural areas of Louisiana.

Nassauer is the son of Charles and Mary Stafford Nassauer and the grandson of Sigsby and Wilma Wheat Stafford of Bogalusa. His daughter, Christine Nassauer McCarey, is an attorney in Philadelphia.

“The Washington Parish president and council have done a great job with limited revenues to improve our roads. But infrastructure and access — roads and bridges — has been a long term commitment for me,” Nassauer said. “We send gasoline and fuel taxes to the highway trust fund and get very little back. We need state and federal help if we are to succeed in opening this district to interstate traffic. I will press hard for the construction of Louisiana Highway 3241 and the widening of Louisiana Highways 10 and 16.

“Our teachers and state employees have not been given the fair treatment they deserve, and I will fight for them in Baton Rouge to ensure they have a seat at the table,” Nassauer added.

“I will also strive to work with every person in the district to improve the quality of our lives and environment and assure access to quality health care in the rural areas of our state,” he said.

Nassauer continued, “As a lifetime resident of Washington Parish, as a health care provider in the parish for 30 years, and as a parish councilman for 16 years, I look forward to bringing my experience to the state legislature to work on producing positive changes to our parish while still maintaining our unique quality of life that makes Washington Parish special.”

The election is Oct. 24.