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The dust has barely settled after last week’s Senedd elections, but one result means voters in a Caerphilly County Borough ward could soon be heading back to the ballot box.

Donna Cushing, who represented the Hengoed ward on the county council, has left her local authority role after being elected to the Welsh Parliament in the Sir Fynwy Torfaen constituency.

Owing to rules preventing politicians from serving on local authorities and in the Senedd at the same time, there is now the prospect of a council by-election in Hengoed, should more than one candidate come forward.

Plaid Cymru’s Ms Cushing claimed the sixth seat last Friday in the Senedd constituency covering Torfaen and Monmouthshire, following nearly a decade spent as a councillor.

She also stood as the party’s candidate in the two most recent elections for Gwent’s police and crime commissioner.

“Being elected to the Senedd is one of the single biggest honours of my life,” she said. “It is a privilege to be elected to serve the people of Sir Fynwy Torfaen, a task I will attend to with the greatest effort and determination possible, each and every day.

“It is an even greater honour to be elected as part of the 43-strong Plaid Cymru group in the Senedd, which has been able to form the next government of Wales for the first time in our history.”

Ms Cushing said she would support the new government’s aims of “bringing down waiting lists, supporting small businesses, and delivering the most generous childcare offer in the UK”.

“I will also be making sure the concerns of residents are listened to – both by myself and the Welsh Government by raising awareness of local causes and speaking directly with the decision-makers in government,” she said.

“As a party, we are very much looking forward to rolling out our exciting, ambitious plans to get to grips with the issues facing the people of Wales and Sir Fynwy Torfaen, such as raising educational standards, cutting child poverty, and ensuring Wales’ communities are given the fair deal they deserve by standing up for Wales, always.”

On leaving her council role, Ms Cushing added: “I am very proud to have represented the people of Hengoed for so many years. I very much enjoyed speaking to residents day in, day out, representing their views in the council and fighting for local causes.

“I learned so much in this role, and will cherish those lessons and experience while going forward to represent constituents in the Senedd.

“Hengoed will always have a very special place to me, and I wish my successor all the luck in representing the great residents of the ward.”

Following Ms Cushing’s election to the Senedd, it is expected the council will publish a notice of vacancy for her old Hengoed seat, inviting prospective candidates to confirm they would like to stand in a by-election.