(CNN) – While the City of New Orleans is undoubtedly focused on Sunday’s Super Bowl featuring the hometown Saints, Saturday's mayoral election is also on the minds of many city residents.
In Orleans Parish, 11 mayoral candidates, Democrats and Republicans, are on the ballot to replace Mayor Ray Nagin, a term-limited Democrat. If no candidate wins 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will go head to head in a runoff.
But in addition to the election and Sunday's big game, the mayoral candidates also have to compete against Mardi Gras events this weekend.
On Election Day five carnival crews are holding their annual Mardi Gras parades across the Crescent City. Starting at noon many streets are blocked off as the floats and marching bands make their way down the wide avenues, and residents line the streets grasping for beads and doubloons.
Still, voters are tuning into the election, which current Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu is favored to win, according to pre-election polls. If that happens, Landreiu will be the first white mayor of the city in more than 30 years. Landrieu, who lost his 2006 New Orleans mayoral bid, is the brother of current Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune is reporting few Election Day hitches so far.
– CNN’s Eric Marrapodi contributed to this report
From CNN Politics
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This article is incorrect–Mitch Landrieu is the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, not the governor–that's Governor Jindal.
If Gov. Landrieu wins and that changes the race of the mayor, it will be good, because nobody should ever be elected to any office solely because he is African/American or because he is white.
u mean former gov. Mitch Landrieu
Mitch Landrieu is the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, not the Governor.
...who dat...?...who dere...?
You mean good ole Ray "chocolate city" Nagin is out? Wow what a shame...
Wonder is the city replaced the school buses Nagin let drown along with his residents?
It is disturbing that this Landrieu family is allowed to treat political office in Louisiana as an inherited birthright. If I recall, the father was also a politician. Doesn't New Orlean have anyone else that is capable of leading it? Haven't the Landrieu's had their shot already?
Also is it just me or do any of you find it SUSPICIOUS that a person would willing seek to go from being the GOVENOR of a state to the MAYOR of one of it's cities.
Something doesn't smell right to me. Watch for corruption.
The best argument for term limits – getting rid of Ray Nagin.
Landrieu is LIEUTENANT Governor, not the Governor. Last time I check, Bobby Jindal had that job.
Mitch Landrieu is actually the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, the Governor is Bobby Jindal.
I think you must have meant 5 carnival krewes, not crews.
Blacks in New Orleans must be racist against blacks becase they might elect a white mayor=LIB LOGIC
He's actually Lt. Governor. Get your facts straight CNN!
The incredible thing is that NOLA reelected Nagin after the pathetic job he did during and after Katrina. Thousands died because he delayed mandatory evacuation, and then those left had no way out.
BYE BYE RAY RAY!!!!!
I thought it was a chocolate city?
The correct spelling is "Krewes", not crews. Many have voted early in order to attend parades today and the Super Bowl in Miami. You would not believe the level of adreniline here, all over the coast, between mardi gras and the Saints in the Super Bowl. i have been in a frenzy working on my costume and watching anything related to the Saints for two weeks now. I can barely eat or sleep! Life is good!
Their politics are as filthy as their minds.The city acts like sodomites,nothing but selfindulgence and lust.
Hmmmmm...what kind of government holds an important event..LIKE ELECTIONS....in the middle of such distracting events. Speaks volumes about their priorities.
Who Dat?!
The last "white" mayor of New Orleans was Moon Landrieu, Mitch Landrieu's dad.
It's Krewe, not crew.
Let's hope they elect one that has the sense to get people out of the path of a hurricane instead of letting them get stranded and then getting on TV and blaming the federal government.
A white mayor in the "chocolate city". Wow! Atlanta should have had such luck.
Wow, the new mayor of New Orleans, no matter who wins, will easily be able to step over the bar set by Nagin! This incompetent boob and his lame Governor at the the time of Katrina continuously then and now blamed the federal government for a lot of mistakes that they made! That Governor has since been punted to the rubbish bin of history and good riddance to Nagin, too!