Mayor fights for his job

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.

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