Trail Mix: What's new with New Orleans' mayoral race
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
New Orleans is less than three months away from the primaries, and the municipal races are starting to pop.
- Here's what's happened recently.
🗣️ Mayoral forum: 10 of the 12 mayoral hopefuls faced off Friday night for the first time. Memorable moment: Renada Collins sang a campaign-themed tune. Watch the replay.
- The Young Leadership Council hosts the next forum Aug. 5. RSVP.
📊 New poll numbers: Helena Moreno continues to lead in a new poll for the mayor's race, with Oliver Thomas and Royce Duplessis neck-and-neck.
- Moreno came in at 47% followed by Thomas (16%) and Duplessis (14%), according to Fox 8. Arthur Hunter came in at 5%.
- Ron Faucheux of Faucheux Strategies conducted the poll for Sidney Torres IV's political action committee. Go deeper.
- Worth noting: Torres has donated to Moreno's campaign, according to The Times-Picayune.
🔎 Changing power dynamic: This will be the first open mayoral election in 50 years not dominated by political family dynasties or Black political organizations, Dillard professor Robert Collins writes for Verite. Go deeper.
✂️ Whittling down the ballot: The crowded field is already getting smaller.
- Four candidates were disqualified last week after not meeting tax-filing requirements, according to Darren Lombard, Orleans Parish's chief elections officer.
- Mayoral race: Tyrell Morris and Gabrielle Harris Thomas.
- Council race: Kevin Griffin Clark (District D) and Willie Miller Jr. (District E).
- Plus, Jon D. Johnson withdrew from the District E race, according to Verite.
- See the full list of candidates for each race.
🤝 Endorsements: The Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO, which represents union workers, endorsed Moreno, Thomas and Duplessis in the mayoral race, according to the campaigns.
- The group also endorsed Michelle Woodfork for sheriff and Delisha Boyd, Matthew Willard and Aimee McCarron in the council races, their campaigns say.
📺 TV ads begin: Moreno's first round of TV ads hit the airwaves this month, according to The Times-Picayune. Watch them.
📆 Transition plan: The city's Department of Homeland Security has begun working on its transition plan for the next administration, director Collin Arnold says.
💰 Fundraising: Moreno continues to have the largest war chest in the mayoral race, but new financial filings show other candidates are gaining ground. Go deeper.
- Political action committees also are pouring money into the races, writes James Finn at The Times-Picayune. See the active ones.
What's next: The primary is Oct. 11, followed by the general election in November.
- The deadline to register in person to vote is Sept. 10.