New Orleans might be ready to have another Black mayor
13th February 2017 · 0 Comments
By Christopher Tidmore
Contributing Writer
When Paul Bonin made the somewhat judicially unprecedented decision to move from the State Court of Appeals to Orleans’ Criminal District Court, never did it cross any pundit’s mind that the election would even be close.
Bonin had won citywide repeatedly for the Appellate Court, and for Traffic Court prior to that. Moreover, a Caucasian candidate he might be in an African-American majority city, but Bonin ran on one of the foremost issues concerning the “Black Lives Matter” movement—the high rates of incarceration and mitigation of drug imprisonments. Bonin enjoyed ubiquitous media and political support, facing an unknown challenger in the runoff with virtually no money and less backing. In addition, the December runoff’s low turnout figures (a month after the Presidential contest) usually benefit non-Black candidates. [In fact, Republican Joseph Cao emerged victorious under just those circumstances in 2008.]
Normally under these conditions, one would weigh the vote of a white Progressive with such wide name recognition and support, rather than count it. Instead, Bonin barely won, beating African-American newcomer Kevin Guillory 52.88 percent to 47.12 percent or a margin of just under 4,000 votes. Perhaps, Bonin’s political “near death experience” stands as the reason, yet other than Sidney Torres, the leading candidates for Mayor to succeed Mitch Landrieu all come from the African-American community. Some contenders, like LaToya Cantrell and JP Morrell enjoy extensive crossover white support, but regardless, the field of candidates reflects the fact that for the first time since 2006, the local African-American electorate seems resolved to elect a Mayor (and Council) that “looks like us.”
Some consider District “B” Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell to be the current frontrunner. In fact, she earned a cover story in the Capitol Hill political magazinePolitico.com entitled “Madam Mayor?”
Cantrell admitted in an interview with The Louisiana Weekly that there is a distinct possibility that she will run in the October 14, 2017 primary; though, she has not formally decided her intentions. She certainly sounds like a candidate, though. When asked if she was afraid for the future of New Orleans, due to the recent political developments nationally, the Councilwoman replied, “I’m not afraid. I am optimistic, because I know the people of New Orleans believe in the future. They just want to know what’s next… They want to be able to prepare.”
“The best way we can prepare is to focus on leadership,” she elaborated, “not only for Mayor, but we have 40 percent of the legislature up for grabs due to term limits [in 2019].” Nevertheless, the way positive change starts is local leadership, she maintained. “Bottom line, it goes back to who you elect.”
“We have to be focused on what we are going to achieve for the people of New Orleans in a limited period of time…We have to have a strategic plan.” And if it was any doubt that Cantrell was focused on the bid for Mayor, the giant billboard on I-10 stating simply “LaToya” settled any confusion.
Sen. J.P. Morrell has also seriously considered a run for Mayor, one confidential source close to the State Senator told The Louisiana Weekly, but he “will wait until June before making a formal announcement.” He has, though, started a weekly podcast commencing with a focus on crime—hardly the typical topic of a State Senator’s portfolio, but a major concern of a mayor’s.
As Morell explained, the weekly online radio program will focus on “Manpower shortages, the consent decree, police pay, morale, and politics are hurdles for the NOPD. What’s the City to do? In this first episode of the 2017 season of #AskJP, JP explores these issues and more with crime analyst Jeff Asher.
The pre-recorded program features themes a mayoral candidate might undertake.
State Senator Karen Carter Peterson also could become a candidate for mayor, since her expected position in a Hillary Clinton Administration has evaporated, and they will be no Washington “thank you” for Peterson’s term as LA Democratic Party Chair. Trash Magnate Jimmy Woods recently hosted a fundraiser for her at his palatial home, with Gov. John Bel Edwards in attendance.
Clerk of Civil Court Dale Atkins just headlined a fundraiser, where she hinted at her mayoral intentions, and Civil Court Judge and past-mayoral candidate Michael Bagneris has said that he has not given up all interest in the city’s top job. Despite an unsuccessful bid against Mitch Landrieu four years ago, Bagneris enjoys quite a lot of crossover support in the white community. As an African-American Democrat, it must be remembered that he did earn the official GOP endorsement against Landrieu, along with the support of much of the Black political establishment four years ago.
Uptownmessenger.com columnist Danae Columbus, a potential contender to watch not currently on the media “radar screen” yet still on the airwaves, is former City Council President Oliver Thomas. As Columbus explained, “Though he served time in federal prison more than six years ago, Thomas has turned over a new leaf as a radio personality and public speaker who makes dozens of presentations to community groups and churches each month. He and his second wife Jasmine recently welcomed into the world Oliver Jr., who is sure to be a crowd pleaser on the campaign trail. Eligible to run because the Louisiana Supreme Court declared a law prohibiting his candidacy unconstitutional, Thomas could have beaten Mayor Mitch Landrieu eight years ago had he not been indicted.”
Despite the public sentiment, there looks to be at least one Caucasian contender, who is building a campaign on an “outsider” vision that might enjoy some crossover support. Sidney Torres IV, the former Garbage Tsar hailed for cleaning up the French Quarter (and currently turning the abandoned Convent on Rampart into luxury apartments), has indicated that he leans towards a run, and could self-finance his bid. Of course, he is a bit busy with his new reality show.
The open primary for New Orleans Citywide elections will be held for the first time in October, thanks to a legislative change, and time will tell if there are more candidates on the horizon.
This article originally published in the February 13, 2017 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
