According to a Times-Picayune story, she told colleagues she’s thinking of running for a U.S. Congress seat in Louisiana’s 2nd District, which is currently held by William Jefferson. And on the air, she told viewers she was leaving “because some recent opportunities have presented themselves to me, opportunities I need to take for the betterment of this city and for the citizens of New Orleans.”
Helena started her run at WDSU in November 2000 as a general assignment reporter. She was promoted to morning news anchor in January of 2005, and last year joined the station’s investigative team. She previously worked at WTOC-TV in Savannah, Ga.
Helena, born in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and a former intern for First Lady Hillary Clinton.