New Orleans mayoral race causing another shake-up in council leadership

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A new candidate and possibly a strong challenger has entered the New Orleans mayoral race.

For weeks, maybe months, there was talk about New Orleans City Councilman Oliver Thomas entering the mayoral race, and he finally confirmed the news on Tuesday.

“A lot of things factored into it, but mostly listening to people all over the city and then them telling me their concerns, and then the level of confidence that people had in me, that they thought I could be part of the solution,” said Thomas. “That factored into it.”

His candidacy is causing yet another shake-up in city council leadership.

“So naturally, only one can run for one seat at a time, and therefore, with Councilmember Moreno, someone will run for the at-large, and with Councilman Thomas, naturally, the same will occur there,” explained New Orleans pollster Silas Lee.

A former councilman at-large, Thomas was elected to serve as District E’s councilman in 2021, more than 10 years after pleading guilty to a federal bribery charge.

“I really appreciated the endorsement when I ran for council, from Councilmember Moreno and [Councilman] Morrell,” said Thomas. “They believed in me.”

Moreno, who is term-limited, is now among his opponents.

“Every cycle is different in terms of the social and political climate and who it will attract to run for mayor, as well as the opposition who might be running, and how formidable they may be, so there are many variables, which makes it unpredictable,” explained Lee.

If you ask Thomas, there’s one thing that is predictable.

“The best thing about me is that I’m like everyday people,” said Thomas.

The other two well-known candidates in the race thus far are former 911 director Tyrell Morris and former District Judge Arthur Hunter, Jr.

There are also two candidates who have not held office before: Ricky Twiggs and Renada Collins.

The election is scheduled for Oct. 11.

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