New Orleans mayoral hopefuls pitch big change at town hall

The big picture: Arthur Hunter, Helena Moreno and Oliver Thomas squared off for more than two hours at the town hall hosted by nonprofit Voters Organized to Educate.

• The public interest was intense, with the event reaching capacity before it started. Dozens were turned away at the doors, including Tyrell Morris, who is also running for mayor.
• Renada Collins and Ricky Twiggs were in the audience and told Axios New Orleans they were not invited to participate, even though they are campaigning.

The latest: State Sen. Royce Duplessis on Sunday night said he will seek the office too, reversing course from his January decision that cited fundraising concerns. His formal announcement is expected Tuesday.

• Frank Scurlock, who made a bid for mayor in 2017, also says he is entering the race again.

Between the lines: The on-stage candidates were chosen because they had a longstanding relationship with the organization and had filed campaign finance reports, said Devin Davis, the nonprofit's political operations director.

Inside the room: It was packed, with 150-plus people sitting, leaning on walls and cramming in to every corner.

• Attendees were a mix of longtime residents, campaign supporters and community activists.
• Moderators with the nonprofit asked questions and the candidates had 60 seconds to respond. The questions focused on fixing the city's infrastructure and improving quality of life issues.

What we learned: The candidates' platforms were similar, with each saying they want drivable streets, reliable power, good schools, safe neighborhoods and improvements for residents, not just tourists.

• The main difference seems to be their leadership styles.

Oliver Thomas

Thomas, a current councilmember, described himself as a middle-class native New Orleanian who will help people who he says have been "disrespected," "overlooked" and "forgotten," especially in New Orleans East.

• He also painted himself as a strong advocate for Black New Orleanians and formerly incarcerated residents.
• Thomas, who served three years in jail on bribery charges, touted his efforts with strengthening "Ban the Box," which prevents public employers from discriminating against job applicants with criminal backgrounds.
• Plus, he took credit for recent developments in New Orleans East: Lincoln Beach and the demolition at the former Six Flags.

Arthur Hunter

Hunter, a former criminal court judge, portrayed himself as a connector, saying he sees the mayoral position as one that brings everyone to the table.

• "That's what I've always been about — doing the work," he said. "Taking control, bringing the right people together and coming up with a solution and results."
• He brought success stories from his time on the bench and talked about how he would expand the New Orleans Recreation Department's role to help improve life for youth and families.
• He also talked about career training programs he started that are geared at creating a skilled workforce.

Helena Moreno

Moreno, another councilmember, painted the picture of herself as someone with good ideas who has been ignored over the years.

• "When I'm your mayor, I'm no longer going to be ignored and pushed aside," she said, especially with short-term rental regulations.
• She talked about her wins during her time on the council and in the state Legislature, citing her efforts regulating Entergy New Orleans, helping create NOPD's mobile crisis unit and working on mental health and homeless outreach services.
• She also talked about her work creating the housing trust fund, which is dedicated to affordable housing projects.

Zoom in: They were all prepared and seemed comfortable talking on stage. Their comments often elicited applause and vocal support from the audience.

• Of the three, Moreno was the most critical of Cantrell, blaming her for her "absent leadership" and misaligned infrastructure priorities.
• Hunter took subtle shots at Moreno and Thomas, saying the council has had the power to change things and they haven't done it. He portrayed himself as an outsider who can make it happen.
• But in general, the candidates were civil and friendly with each other on stage as they shared a microphone. They got loud on a few issues, but not at each other. And, no one interrupted one another.

Zoom out: Moreno is leading public opinion polls and ahead in fundraising.

• The next campaign finance reports are due in mid-July.

What's next: Mayoral hopefuls will turn in their paperwork and fees next week during qualifying. After that, we'll know who's going to be on the ballot.

• The primary is in October, followed by the general election in November.

Go deeper:

• Running list of mayoral candidates
• Skooks' live-tweets from the town hall
• The Times-Picayune's play-by-play