New Orleans elects first white mayor in more than 30 years
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) - Democrat Mitch Landrieu was elected mayor of New Orleans on Saturday night, becoming the first white mayor of this majority-black city in more than 30 years.
Landrieu, the state's lieutenant governor, captured 66 percent of the nearly 89,000 votes cast.
His closest competitor, a black businessman and fellow Democrat Troy Henry, won 14 percent.
Landrieu takes office in May, replacing the term-limited Ray Nagin.
The city's last white mayor was Landrieu's father, Maurice "Moon" Landrieu, who left office in 1978.
He is remembered fondly for desegregating the city, appointing African-Americans to positions of city leadership and opening up public facilities to blacks.
About two-thirds of New Orleans is black.
Landrieu's sister, Democrat Mary Landrieu, is a U.S. senator for the state.
In addition to Landrieu and Henry, nine other people were on the ballot.
The 49-year-old Landrieu lost two previous mayoral bids: in 1994 and 2006. But this time, CNN affiliate WWL-TV's election analysts projected Landrieu the winner 35 minutes after the polls closed.
The concessions started to pour in soon afterward.
Candidate Rob Couhig, a Republican, conceded the race via Twitter shortly after 9 p.m.
Another candidate, Democrat John Georges, gave his concession speech less than an hour after the polls closed, the affiliate reported.
The election came as the city geared up to cheer the hometown Saints in Sunday's Super Bowl in Miami, Florida, against the Indianapolis Colts.
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I don't think it will matter what race the Mayor is, it is dependent upon the people of the community to raise themselves up out of the social quagmire they find themselves in, my Hope is fleeting.
Sounds like the Landrieu Family has control on Louisiana!
Did Mary use her taxpayer bribe money to support little Bubba?
Blacks in New Orleans must be racist against blacks by electing a white mayor-LIB LOGIC
Well hey, lets just blame BOOOOOSH!!!! LOL
Hooray! bye bye school bus nagin. i could not understand why he was re-elected after having been the sole cause for so much death and destruction during Katrina.
So?
Is CNN implying that all people of color (non-white) will be rejected? Racist? What's the implication here?
I'm deeply offended by the reporting of CNN lately. I demand an apology.
Hey – if citizen palin can demand, so can I - I'm a citizen.
You elected a Landrieu another blame someone but me democrat. The same democrat family that has held LA hostage for so many years. Good Luck!
Why are the dirtiest and most dangerous cities in control of Progressive/Democrat party buffoons ?
landrieu is not white
ho landrieu stolen taxpayers dollars is hard at work getting little brother elected. way to go ho. Ho landrieu should be arrested for stealing taxpayer dollars and bro landrieu should be arrested for receiving stolen property.
I'm amazed New Orleans even exists after Bush sent Katrina through there to destroy it.
So will it no longer be known as "chocolate New Orleans" as Nagin called it?
Can we sell the area back to the french please.
What, the tea party couldn't pull this one out? There goes your tea party effect.