New Orleans Mayoral Candidates Face Off in Town Hall

Strategic Insights -

Thursday's town hall meeting at Voters Organized to Educate gave New Orleans residents their first in-depth look at three of the candidates vying to succeed term-limited Mayor LaToya Cantrell. The event was intense, with audience members packed into every available spot and dozens turned away at the doors. State Sen. Royce Duplessis has since announced his candidacy, reversing a previous decision due to fundraising concerns, and former mayoral candidate Frank Scurlock has also thrown his hat into the ring. The three on-stage candidates were chosen for their longstanding relationships with the organization and having filed campaign finance reports.

Key Takeaways:

  • The mayoral candidates agreed on the need for drivable streets, reliable power, good schools, safe neighborhoods, and improvements for residents, not just tourists, but differed in their leadership styles.
  • Arthur Hunter portrayed himself as a connector who would bring everyone to the table and achieve results, while Helena Moreno emphasized her track record of getting things done as a councilmember and in the state Legislature.
  • Oliver Thomas, a current councilmember, focused on helping "disrespected," "overlooked," and "forgotten" communities, particularly in New Orleans East, and touted his role in implementing "Ban the Box" and other initiatives.
  • Moreno is currently leading in public opinion polls and fundraising, but the next campaign finance reports are due in mid-July, and the primary is set for October.
  • The mayoral hopefuls will turn in their paperwork and fees next week during qualifying, after which the ballot will be set, and the general election will take place in November.

Statistics:

  • 150-plus people attended the town hall meeting, which reached capacity before the event started.
  • Dozens of residents were turned away at the doors, including mayoral hopeful Tyrell Morris.
  • 3 out of 6 mayoral candidates attended the town hall meeting: Arthur Hunter, Helena Moreno, and Oliver Thomas.
  • 60 seconds was the time allotted for each candidate to respond to questions from the moderators.
  • 3 years was the amount of time Oliver Thomas spent in jail on bribery charges.

Sources:

  • Axios: "New Orleans Mayoral Candidates: Who's Running?"
  • Arthur Fornola: (https://www.arthurfornola.com/)
  • Helena Moreno: (https://helenamorenola.com/)
  • Oliver Thomas: (https://www.otforus.com/)
  • Voters Organized to Educate: (https://www.votersorganized.org/)
  • Axios: "State Sen. Royce Duplessis Running for Mayor"