New Orleans voters face crowded field for mayor, council
Why it matters: This fall's election could transform City Hall, putting new leaders in charge of solving the city's most stubborn problems — infrastructure failures, housing costs, public safety concerns and general quality of life challenges.
The big picture: Mayor LaToya Cantrell is term-limited and leaves office in January 2026.
Her second term has been plagued with scandal and political infighting with the City Council.
Her troubles have been a common thread for the candidates so far, with their platforms focusing on fixing what they say is broken.
The latest: Two City Council members — Helena Moreno and Oliver Thomas — are vying for Cantrell's job and making space for others to compete for their council spots.
State Sen. Royce Duplessis and former criminal court judge Arthur Hunter are also running for mayor — positioning themselves as experienced public servants who weren't involved in creating the city's current mess.
Eileen Carter made a surprise entry into the race last week. She's Cantrell's former staffer who helped spearhead the failed recall effort, the Times-Picayune says.
Several other long shots are also running in the field of 14 candidates, including Frank Scurlock, who previously ran on a "Make New Orleans Fun Again" slogan but got derailed with a lewd conduct accusation during the campaign.
Between the lines: New Orleans has been a Democratic-run city for decades. While Republicans have run for mayor recently, they haven't been successful.
Frank Janusa and Gabrielle Thomas qualified to run on the Republican ticket, writes James Finn at the Times-Picayune.
Le Bon Temps Roule owner Joe Bikulege Jr., Ricky Twiggs and comedian and perennial candidate Manny Chevrolet Bruno are running as independents.
Carter, Renada Collins, Russell Butler and Scurlock are "no party" candidates. The rest are Democrats.
By the numbers: Moreno was leading in fundraising as of April. New campaign finance reports are expected this month.
Council races heat up
Meanwhile, City Council seats are going to be hotly contested, with Thomas', Moreno's and Joe Giarrusso's spots now open.
Giarrusso previously said he's leaving the council to focus on his law career.
See the map of the districts.
Zoom in: Cyndi Nguyen and Jon D. Johnson, who both held the council seat in New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward (District E) before Thomas, will face off with state Rep. Jason Hughes and eight others for their old job, the Times-Picayune says.
State Reps. Delisha Boyd and Matthew Willard are among the challengers for Moreno's at-large seat.
Holly Friedman and Aimee McCarron — both former Giarrusso staffers — are two of the candidates going after his District A seat, which represents Lakeview and parts of Uptown and Mid-City.
Zoom out: JP Morrell, Freddie King III and Eugene Green have challengers, too.
Kelsey Foster, the longtime executive director of the Algiers Economic Development Foundation, wants King's District C seat, which represents downtown, Algiers, Bywater and the Marigny.
Belden "Noonie Man" Batiste, who also led the mayoral recall campaign, is going after Green's spot.
The Rev. Gregory Manning of Broadmoor Community Church and Kenneth Cutno are challenging Morrell.
Lesli Harris is running unopposed.
What's next: The primary is Oct. 11, followed by the general election in November.
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