2-minute voter guide: New Orleans' Oct. 11 primary
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New Orleans will overhaul City Hall in the upcoming election with a new mayor, City Council members and other key leaders on the ballot.
Why it matters: This is the biggest leadership shake-up in years — and the results will set the city's priorities for everything from public safety to property taxes.
The big picture: Early voting is open through Saturday for the Oct. 11 primary.
- If a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in the primary, they win outright.
- Otherwise, the top two candidates head into a runoff on Nov. 15.
The races
🏢 Mayor: State Sen. Royce Duplessis, City Council Vice President Helena Moreno and City Councilmember Oliver Thomas are facing off for the most powerful position in the city.
👥 City Council: Three seats are wide open since Moreno, Thomas and Joe Giarrusso won't be back in January.
- Lesli Harris is unopposed, but the other seats are hotly contested.
- Our guide to the races.
- Of note: Residents will vote along new district lines this year.
🚔 Sheriff: Incumbent Susan Hutson is in political trouble after the jailbreak in May.
- Michelle Woodfork, who was NOPD's interim superintendent, and constable Edwin Shorty Jr. are her top challengers. Go deeper.
🤑 Assessor: Incumbent Erroll Williams is one of the longest-serving elected officials in the city, according to the Times-Picayune.
- The primary job of assessor is determining the value of all property in New Orleans for tax purposes.
- Three men are challenging Williams for his job. Go deeper.
⚖️ Orleans Parish Criminal Court clerk: Darren Lombard is the incumbent and faces two challengers — Calvin Duncan and Valencia Miles. Go deeper.
- Duncan spent 28 years at Angola after being falsely accused of murder and was exonerated in 2021, according to UC Berkeley Law.
- The clerk is the administrative backbone of the criminal court system in the city, according to the Committee for a Better New Orleans. They also oversee local elections.
Unopposed
- City Councilmember Lesli Harris
- Coroner Dwight McKenna
- Civil District Court Clerk Chelsey Richard Napoleon
Other ballot questions
Zoom in: New Orleanians will also vote whether to amend the city's home rule charter, which is essentially the constitution of the city.
- The charter has a bill of rights, which includes a list of banned reasons for discrimination (race, color, religion, sexual orientation, etc.).
- The proposal, called the Fair Chance Amendment by supporters, would add conviction history to the list. Advocates say the change would help formerly incarcerated people get jobs. Go deeper.
- Thomas shepherded this proposal through the City Council.
Zoom out: Orleans Parish voters will have the most to decide in south Louisiana. See all the races and candidates.
- In Jefferson Parish, the residents of Jean Lafitte are voting on a mayor.
- St. Tammany is voting on a new Slidell mayor.
- There's nothing on the ballot in St. Bernard or St. Charles, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
What others say
- Bureau of Governmental Research Q&As
- In-depth candidate answers via Verite
- Committee for a Better New Orleans
- Blue Voter Guide with candidate endorsements
- Sample ballots from the Power Coalition
The bottom line: Check your sample ballot and make a plan to vote.