Michelle Woodfork claims victory in Orleans Parish sheriff’s race
THANK YOU EVERYBODY. YES. WE DID IT. YEAH. AND I SAY WE BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT ABOUT ME. THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT ME. THIS RACE WAS ABOUT YOU. YOUR FAMILIES AND OUR GREAT CITY. FIRST, I MUST THANK GOD. YES. WITHOUT HIM, NOTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH HIM, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE. YES. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY PARENTS. MOM AND DAD, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING ME. THANK YOU FOR RAISING ME TO BE A SERVANT AND A PROTECTOR. THANK YOU FOR RAISING ME TO BE TOUGH, TO KNOW THAT STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES, BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT. TO MY BEAUTIFUL SON. YES. YEAH. NICOLAS. THANK YOU FOR BEING THE BEST SON A MOTHER COULD EVER DREAM OF. YEAH. I HOPE I’LL MAKE YOU PROUD, SON. OH. TO MY BIG SISTER, ROCHELLE. YOU ARE THE VERY BEST. TO MY TEAM. JOHN LITCHFIELD, JASON WILLIAMS, CEDRIC RICHMOND, TALLEY MEDINA. JACK MORIAL, JARED ASIMOV AND TEAM WOODFORK. AND THAT’S TIFFANY CHANTELL, ROCHELLE. MASTER. DELISA. LINDA VENEZIA, ROBERT. MR. SMITTY. DAVID. GLENDON, JACK, NATE, EMMA. PERCY BRANDI, DANIA AND KELEE JUNIOR. MY ENTIRE TEAM. THANK YOU ALL. AND TO EVERYONE HERE, THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME REACH MY DREAM OF BECOMING THE NEXT SHERIFF OF ORLEANS PARISH. TO SHERIFF HUDSON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AND THANK YOU FOR RUNNING A CAMPAIGN FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT. YES. YEAH, I WOULD TRULY TREASURE THIS MOMENT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT GIVEN TO US. IT WAS NOT EASY. IT WAS NOT PLEASANT. BUT A WISE WOMAN REMINDED ME THAT WHEN THEY ARE SHORT. AND WHEN THEY GO LOW, WELL, WE GO HIGH. TOO THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS, I PROMISE TO BE A SHERIFF. YOU CAN BE PROUD OF A TRUE COMMUNITY PARTNER. AS SHERIFF, I WILL TAKE MY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CARE, CUSTODY AND CONTROL OF THE JAIL SERIOUSLY THROUGH INCREASING RECRUITMENT AND INVESTING IN OUR DEPUTIES, INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY, I WILL ENSURE THAT WE OPERATE A SAFE AND SECURE JAIL. YES, A JAIL WHERE THE DEPUTIES AND THOSE HOUSED THERE ARE SAFE. A JAIL WHERE NO ONE LEAVES UNTIL THEIR RELEASE DATE. AND WHILE I HAVE PEOPLE IN MY CUSTODY, I WILL WORK WITH THEM TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE BETTER PEOPLE WHEN THEY LEAVE, NOT BETTER CRIMINALS TO DO THAT, I WILL FOCUS ON REHABILITATION. THAT INCLUDES MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, EDUCATION AND JOB SKILL TRAINING. WE WILL PROVIDE THE PEOPLE WHO LEAVE OUR JAIL WITH THE SKILLS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANOTHER CHANCE. SOMETIMES THEIR LAST CHANCE THAT HELPS THEM AND THAT MAKES OUR COMMUNITY SAFER. I WILL BE A TRUE COMMUNITY PARTNER IN THIS CITY. WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT GROUPS, GREAT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING GOOD WORK IN THE COMMUNITY. THE HARD WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND THEY ALL CAN USE SOME HELP. I WILL BE THERE FOR YOU. I WILL HELP YOU, AND I WILL PARTNER WITH YOU AS A TRUE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONAL. I KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS ACROSS THE REGION TO FIGHT CRIME AND PROTECT OUR FAMILIES. SO OVER THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS, I LOOK FORWARD TO SITTING DOWN WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERS TO COLLABORATE, TO LISTEN AND TO LEARN. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE THAT THE COURTS, BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL, PLAY IN OUR DAILY LIVES. THOSE COURTS CANNOT FUNCTION EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT THE COOPERATION AND EXECUTION OF THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE OVER THE TRANSITION. I WILL MEET WITH THE JUDGES TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE DOING OUR PART AND MAKING SURE THAT THE OFFICE MEETS MY HIGH STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE I WANT TO SAY ABOUT MY PLANS AS SHERIFF, AND I WILL OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AS WE TRANSITION. BUT TONIGHT WE GET TO. CELEBRATE. WE GET TO CELEBRATE THE LONG, HARD FOUGHT JOURNEY TO VICTORY, TO CELEBRATE THE HARD WORK OF OUR MANY VOLUNTEERS. CELEBRATE THE CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS AND STRANGERS TO TALK ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AND VISION, TO CELEBRATE OUR VICTORY. SO NOW LET’S. CELEBRATE. GET READY THERE! MICHELLE WOODFOLK VICTORY SPEECH TO HIS SUPPORTERS, TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS RUN FOR SHERIFF HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT HER. IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS. AND SHE SAYS SHE WILL DO HER BEST TO NOT ONLY MAINTAIN A SAFE JAIL, BUT MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE STAY IN JAIL TO THEIR RELEASE
Michelle Woodfork claims victory in Orleans Parish sheriff’s race
Updated: 11:18 PM CDT Oct 11, 2025
New Orleans residents have voted, and a new sheriff is likely to take over the Orleans Parish jail. Michelle Woodfork has claimed victory in the Orleans Parish sheriff’s race. If certified as the winner, she will oust current Sheriff Susan Hutson. Woodfork is a former New Orleans Police Department interim superintendent.Woodfork retired from the NOPD last year after more than three decades of service. She announced her retirement after she did not get the superintendent position.She currently works for the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.
NEW ORLEANS —
New Orleans residents have voted, and a new sheriff is likely to take over the Orleans Parish jail.
Michelle Woodfork has claimed victory in the Orleans Parish sheriff’s race. If certified as the winner, she will oust current Sheriff Susan Hutson.
Woodfork is a former New Orleans Police Department interim superintendent.
Woodfork retired from the NOPD last year after more than three decades of service. She announced her retirement after she did not get the superintendent position.
She currently works for the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.