New Orleans
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin this week survived the first round of a racially tinged election—the city’s first vote since Hurricane Katrina hit last August. After receiving 38 percent of the votes, Nagin will face Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, who garnered 29 percent, in a May 20 runoff. Nagin had been a highly popular figure until Katrina, after which he was widely criticized for the city’s storm preparations. He also roused controversy when he vowed to keep New Orleans a “chocolate” city. Landrieu, whose father, Moon Landrieu, was the city’s last white mayor, in the 1970s, said his strong showing proves that New Orleans voters are “one people.” Black turnout was low, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson said he would contest the results because much of the city’s black majority remains scattered across the country.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The 9 restaurants to eat at this very momentThe Week Recommends They’re award-winning. Isn’t that reason enough?
-
The UK’s opioid crisis: why the stats don’t add upThe Explainer A new report has revealed that the UK’s total of opioid-related deaths could be much greater than official figures show
-
Gaza genocide: will UN ruling change anything?Today's Big Question Commission of Inquiry’s findings ‘give unprecedented weight’ to genocide claims
