NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans city councilmember Helena Moreno was elected mayor Saturday in the race to succeed LaToya Cantrell, who is ending a turbulent second term shadowed by federal corruption charges.
Moreno, 48, secured an outright victory with 55% of the vote with all precincts reporting, according to preliminary results from the Louisiana Secretary of State. The Democrat avoided a runoff in a wide field by beating out Oliver Thomas, a fellow councilmember, and state Sen. Royce Duplessis. She will take office in January.
Cantrell, who could not run again because of term limits, was the first woman mayor in the city’s 300-year history and later won reelection. But a rocky second term included clashes with City Council members and surviving a recall effort in 2022.
In August, Cantrell was indicted over what federal prosecutors say was a yearslong scheme to hide a romantic relationship with her former bodyguard. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, fraud and obstruction.
Moreno’s campaign raised more than $3.4 million, more than any other candidate, and focused her platform on promoting public safety, economic development and improved city services.
Born in Mexico, Moreno moved to the U.S. when she was 8 years old. She arrived in New Orleans as a television reporter in the early 2000s before switching to politics, becoming a Louisiana state representative in 2010 and winning election as a New Orleans city councilmember at-large in 2017.
The city elected a new mayor as President Donald Trump has suggested that New Orleans could be one of his next targets to send the National Guard to fight crime. Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has also asked for a deployment but the Trump administration has yet to make an announcement on the request. Moreno has said she opposes federal troops in New Orleans.