New Orleans mayoral election, 2002
Encyclopedia
The New Orleans mayoral election of 2002 was an election for Mayor of New Orleans; the primary round of voting was held on February 2, 2002, followed by a runoff on March 2. It resulted in the election of Ray Nagin
as mayor.
mayoral elections, there is an open primary. Unless one candidate takes more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a run-off election is then held between the top two candidates in the primary round of voting. In this case, the runoff was held on March 2, 2002. In the runoff, Ray Nagin
defeated Richard Pennington
to become mayor of New Orleans, the first time in over 50 years that a New Orleans mayor had been elected with no previous experience as an elected official.
to change the city charter to allow him to run for a third term. Morial’s attempt was unsuccessful, so a perceived political vacuum attracted a larger-than-usual number of candidates.
Other candidates also running included:
and use the money to improve roads and schools. Other candidates proposed regionalizing the airport, but were unwilling to take the drastic step desired by Nagin. Nagin also proposed setting up committees to oversee the appointment of officials in an effort to curb political patronage, while Pennington insisted on retaining mayoral prerogative in appointments. Nagin was also the only candidate to oppose a living wage referendum, which passed but was eventually defeated in court.
Nagin went into the primary round of voting with influential endorsements from both the Times-Picayune and the Gambit. Outgoing mayor Marc Morial did not endorse any candidates in the primary or the runoff; both leading candidates were promising a reduction in the patronage that was so prominent in Morial’s administration.
The runoff campaign saw Nagin pick up endorsements from defeated candidates Singleton, Carter, and Lucas. The campaign took a negative turn when ads appeared attacking Nagin’s credentials as a member of the Democratic party, and when Pennington professed to have information abut Nagin that ‘sickened him to the core’, without specifying its nature.
The most prominent feature of the primary results was a dramatic surge in Nagin’s support; going into the primary, Pennington was widely predicted to finish first. Precinct-by-precinct returns prompted political analysts to attribute Nagin’s first-place finish in the primary to a high turnout by white voters who disproportionately preferred Nagin to his main opponent, Pennington. Nagin also saw support in higher-income black neighborhoods. Pennington found his main base of support in predominantly African-American neighborhoods, winning 217 black-majority precincts to Nagin’s 46. The primary results were also seen as a rejection of New Orleans politics-as-usual; both the runoff candidates were political newcomers despite the candidacies of several prominent politicians.
Runoff, March 2
In the runoff, Nagin kept the base he had established in the primary, but expanded his support to win every majority-white precinct. Pennington maintained his base among lower and middle-class black voters, but was unable to pick up the support of many voters who had supported candidates defeated in the primary. Ray Nagin’s runoff victory sent him to city hall, where he has served as New Orleans’s mayor since May 2002.
Ray Nagin
Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr. is a former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Nagin gained international note in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area....
as mayor.
Background
In New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
mayoral elections, there is an open primary. Unless one candidate takes more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a run-off election is then held between the top two candidates in the primary round of voting. In this case, the runoff was held on March 2, 2002. In the runoff, Ray Nagin
Ray Nagin
Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr. is a former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Nagin gained international note in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area....
defeated Richard Pennington
Richard Pennington
Richard Pennington served as police chief of Atlanta, Georgia from 2002 to 2009. From 1994 to 2002 he served as police chief of New Orleans, Louisiana....
to become mayor of New Orleans, the first time in over 50 years that a New Orleans mayor had been elected with no previous experience as an elected official.
Candidates
The election campaign opened with the attempt of two-term mayor Marc MorialMarc Morial
Marc Haydel Morial is an American political and civic leader and the current president of the National Urban League. Morial served as mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana from 1994 to 2002. He is married to Michelle Miller, who has won awards as a CBS News Correspondent.- Early life and educations...
to change the city charter to allow him to run for a third term. Morial’s attempt was unsuccessful, so a perceived political vacuum attracted a larger-than-usual number of candidates.
- Ray NaginRay NaginClarence Ray Nagin, Jr. is a former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Nagin gained international note in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area....
, vice president and general manager of New Orleans cable provider Cox CommunicationsCox CommunicationsCox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
, entered the race later than most other major candidates. He campaigned as a pro-business reformer and political outsider in a race against several career politicians, promising to enact reform proposals outlined by the Bureau of Governmental Research, a good-government group . Financing his campaign mainly through his own resources, he went into the campaign relatively unknown outside business circles, but gained support after strong showings in debates and influential endorsements from the Times-Picayune and the Gambit newspapers.
- Richard PenningtonRichard PenningtonRichard Pennington served as police chief of Atlanta, Georgia from 2002 to 2009. From 1994 to 2002 he served as police chief of New Orleans, Louisiana....
was brought to New Orleans in October 1994 by then-mayor Marc Morial to lead the cleanup of the corruption-ridden NOPDNew Orleans Police DepartmentThe New Orleans Police Department has primary responsibility for law enforcement in New Orleans, Louisiana. The department's jurisdiction covers all of Orleans Parish, while the city is divided into eight police districts....
as Police Superintendent. He entered the race after Morial failed in his attempt to run for reelection, and emerged as the expected front-runner with high name-recognition and endorsements from US Representative Bill JeffersonWilliam J. JeffersonWilliam Jennings "Bill" Jefferson is a former American politician, and a published author from the U.S. state of Louisiana. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 as a member of the Democratic Party. He represented , which includes much of the...
and District Attorney Harry Connick, Sr.Harry Connick, Sr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Sr. is a New Orleans attorney who is best known for serving as the district attorney of the Parish of Orleans, which contains the City of New Orleans, from 1973 to 2003....
Emphasizing a results-oriented administration, he promised to develop a computer-based program called Citystat to monitor city repairs and maintenance, and to streamline the proecess of obtaining licences and permits.
- State Senator Paulette IronsPaulette IronsPaulette Riley Irons is New Orleans city court judge for Division M. In November 1994 she became the second female member of the Louisiana Senate. She served in the chamber until the end of the statutory limit of 12 years, ending in 2006. Irons represented Louisiana Senate District 4 in New Orleans...
ran describing herself as a "fiscal conservative with a social conscience." She was considered an early front-runner, spending much of the campaign in a dead heat with Pennington, before her support faltered in the face of criticisms and attack ads accusing her of misrepresenting the death of her brother, who was killed while robbing a grocery store in 1980. Her disappointing showing in the primary was a surprise to many political pundits.
- Jim Singleton'sJim SingletonJames Milton Singleton , a prime mover in the New Orleans political organization BOLD , serves on the nine-member Louisiana Gaming Commission, having been nominated for the position by Xavier University of Louisiana president Norman Francis and appointed by Governor Bobby Jindal.-Role in...
career in politics began in the 1970s under mayor Moon LandrieuMoon LandrieuMaurice Edwin "Moon" Landrieu is a Democratic politician from Louisiana who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1970–1978. He also is a former judge...
and included a 24-year stint on city council. Leader of the Central City political organization BOLD, Singleton controlled a powerful voting bloc in council for much of the 1990s.
- Troy Carter (politician)Troy Carter (politician)Troy Anthony "C" Carter is a former member of the New Orleans City Council.In 1994 he was elected to represent District C on the Council, becoming the first African-American to represent that area of the Council since Reconstruction. He served until 2002, when he unsuccessfully sought the office...
, city council member for District C, ran on a campaign promoting economic development. With a reputation as an aggressive fundraiser, he raised $1.1 million for his primary race, more than any of his opponents.
Other candidates also running included:
- Tulane UniversityTulane UniversityTulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
law professor Vernon Palmer - Pastor Leonard Lucas, who defeated longtime incumbent Sherman CopelinSherman CopelinSherman Nathaniel Copelin, Jr. is a New Orleans based politician and businessman.Copelin, the son of a funeral director, was born in New Orleans. He graduated from St. Augustine High School and then became active in student politics at Dillard University, where he became student body president. He...
to become a State Representative in 1999 - funeral home owner Emile Labat
- Clarence Hunt, the owner of two employment recruiting firms, who returned to New Orleans to run for mayor after living in California for years
- gardener Quentin Brown, Jr.
- lawyer Thomas Delahay Dunn, Jr.
- University of New OrleansUniversity of New OrleansThe University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor...
student Timothy Hill - unemployed actor and supermarket produce manager Manny "Chevrolet" Bruno
- lawyer Ed Cerrone
- plumber Albert “Superman” Jones
Campaign
The primary campaign was relatively short and quiet. The candidates agreed on most major issues, including the need to boost the city’s economic climate by eliminating patronage and improving public schools. Some controversy arose from one of Nagin’s main campaign planks, a proposal to sell or lease the city’s Louis Armstrong International AirportLouis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is a Class B public use international airport in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is located 10 nautical miles west of its central business district. The airport's address is 900 Airline Drive...
and use the money to improve roads and schools. Other candidates proposed regionalizing the airport, but were unwilling to take the drastic step desired by Nagin. Nagin also proposed setting up committees to oversee the appointment of officials in an effort to curb political patronage, while Pennington insisted on retaining mayoral prerogative in appointments. Nagin was also the only candidate to oppose a living wage referendum, which passed but was eventually defeated in court.
Nagin went into the primary round of voting with influential endorsements from both the Times-Picayune and the Gambit. Outgoing mayor Marc Morial did not endorse any candidates in the primary or the runoff; both leading candidates were promising a reduction in the patronage that was so prominent in Morial’s administration.
The runoff campaign saw Nagin pick up endorsements from defeated candidates Singleton, Carter, and Lucas. The campaign took a negative turn when ads appeared attacking Nagin’s credentials as a member of the Democratic party, and when Pennington professed to have information abut Nagin that ‘sickened him to the core’, without specifying its nature.
Results
Mayoral Primary, February 2| Candidate | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|
| Ray Nagin Ray Nagin Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr. is a former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Nagin gained international note in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area.... |
38,323 | 29% |
| Richard Pennington Richard Pennington Richard Pennington served as police chief of Atlanta, Georgia from 2002 to 2009. From 1994 to 2002 he served as police chief of New Orleans, Louisiana.... |
31,259 | 23% |
| Paulette Irons Paulette Irons Paulette Riley Irons is New Orleans city court judge for Division M. In November 1994 she became the second female member of the Louisiana Senate. She served in the chamber until the end of the statutory limit of 12 years, ending in 2006. Irons represented Louisiana Senate District 4 in New Orleans... |
24,557 | 18% |
| Jim Singleton Jim Singleton James Milton Singleton , a prime mover in the New Orleans political organization BOLD , serves on the nine-member Louisiana Gaming Commission, having been nominated for the position by Xavier University of Louisiana president Norman Francis and appointed by Governor Bobby Jindal.-Role in... |
17,503 | 13% |
| Troy Carter Troy Carter (politician) Troy Anthony "C" Carter is a former member of the New Orleans City Council.In 1994 he was elected to represent District C on the Council, becoming the first African-American to represent that area of the Council since Reconstruction. He served until 2002, when he unsuccessfully sought the office... |
13,898 | 10% |
| Vernon Palmer | 3442 | 3% |
| Leonard Lucas | 2102 | 2% |
| Emile Labat | 637 | |
| Quentin Brown, Jr. | 422 | |
| Thomas Delahay Dunn, Jr. | 334 | |
| Timothy Hill | 309 | |
| Clarence Hunt | 289 | |
| Manny Bruno | 274 | |
| Ed Cerrone | 136 | |
| Albert “Superman” Jones | 116 |
The most prominent feature of the primary results was a dramatic surge in Nagin’s support; going into the primary, Pennington was widely predicted to finish first. Precinct-by-precinct returns prompted political analysts to attribute Nagin’s first-place finish in the primary to a high turnout by white voters who disproportionately preferred Nagin to his main opponent, Pennington. Nagin also saw support in higher-income black neighborhoods. Pennington found his main base of support in predominantly African-American neighborhoods, winning 217 black-majority precincts to Nagin’s 46. The primary results were also seen as a rejection of New Orleans politics-as-usual; both the runoff candidates were political newcomers despite the candidacies of several prominent politicians.
Runoff, March 2
| Candidate | Votes received | Percentage of votes cast |
|---|---|---|
| Ray Nagin | 76,639 | 59% |
| Richard Pennington | 53,836 | 41% |
In the runoff, Nagin kept the base he had established in the primary, but expanded his support to win every majority-white precinct. Pennington maintained his base among lower and middle-class black voters, but was unable to pick up the support of many voters who had supported candidates defeated in the primary. Ray Nagin’s runoff victory sent him to city hall, where he has served as New Orleans’s mayor since May 2002.