Newsletter Sign Up The Daily Dispatch
BECOME A MEMBER
2-minute voter guide: New Orleans’ Oct. 11 primary

2-minute voter guide: New Orleans’ Oct. 11 primary

By Carlie Kollath Wells

Source: Axios

September 29, 2025

New Orleans will overhaul City Hall in the upcoming election with a new mayor, City Council members and other key leaders on the ballot.

Why it matters: This is the biggest leadership shake-up in years — and the results will set the city’s priorities for everything from public safety to property taxes.

The big picture: Early voting is open through Saturday for the Oct. 11 primary.

  • If a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote in the primary, they win outright.
  • Otherwise, the top two candidates head into a runoff on Nov. 15.

The races

Oliver Thomas in glasses and a navy suit with a blue tie, Helena Moreno in a gray blazer with lipstick and hoop earrings, and Royce Duplessis in a navy suit with a patterned tie.
Oliver Thomas, Helena Moreno and Royce Duplessis. Photos: Courtesy of New Orleans City Council and the State Senate

🏢 Mayor: State Sen. Royce Duplessis, City Council Vice President Helena Moreno and City Councilmember Oliver Thomas are facing off for the most powerful position in the city.

👥 City Council: Three seats are wide open since Moreno, Thomas and Joe Giarrusso won’t be back in January.

🚔 Sheriff: Incumbent Susan Hutson is in political trouble after the jailbreak in May.

  • Michelle Woodfork, who was NOPD’s interim superintendent, and constable Edwin Shorty Jr. are her top challengers. Go deeper.

🤑 Assessor: Incumbent Erroll Williams is one of the longest-serving elected officials in the city, according to the Times-Picayune.

⚖️ Orleans Parish Criminal Court clerk: Darren Lombard is the incumbent and faces two challengers — Calvin Duncan and Valencia Miles. Go deeper.

  • Duncan spent 28 years at Angola after being falsely accused of murder and was exonerated in 2021, according to UC Berkeley Law.
  • The clerk is the administrative backbone of the criminal court system in the city, according to the Committee for a Better New Orleans. They also oversee local elections.

Unopposed

  • City Councilmember Lesli Harris
  • Coroner Dwight McKenna
  • Civil District Court Clerk Chelsey Richard Napoleon

Other ballot questions

Zoom in: New Orleanians will also vote whether to amend the city’s home rule charter, which is essentially the constitution of the city.

  • The charter has a bill of rights, which includes a list of banned reasons for discrimination (race, color, religion, sexual orientation, etc.).
  • The proposal, called the Fair Chance Amendment by supporters, would add conviction history to the list. Advocates say the change would help formerly incarcerated people get jobs. Go deeper.
  • Thomas shepherded this proposal through the City Council.

Zoom out: Orleans Parish voters will have the most to decide in south Louisiana. See all the races and candidates.

  • In Jefferson Parish, the residents of Jean Lafitte are voting on a mayor.
  • St. Tammany is voting on a new Slidell mayor.
  • There’s nothing on the ballot in St. Bernard or St. Charles, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

What others say

The bottom line: Check your sample ballot and make a plan to vote.

Share

Fair Use Notice

This site occasionally reprints copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues and to highlight the accomplishments of our affiliates. We believe this constitutes a “fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is available without profit. For more information go to: US CODE: Title 17,107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.