Some good news and some bad news for New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
The good news: According to a new civic opinion survey conducted by Ron Faucheux for the New Orleans Crime Coalition, Cantrell's approval rating is up slightly to 31 percent. That's up from 30 percent last year.
The bad news: Cantrell's disapproval rating is nearly twice as high, 59 percent. Still that's lower than her disapproval rating from 2023, 60 percent.
For one political analyst, the reasons why Cantrell remains unpopular among New Orleanians are plain to see.
"The mayor has hurt her own image (by) making poor personal decisions that have caused public scandals with the Pontalba (Apartment) issues and the alleged relationship with her bodyguard," University of New Orleans political science professor Ed Chervenak said to WWL's Tommy Tucker.
Chervenak says the city's residents continue to hammer Cantrell for the city's crime problem, pinning that issue squarely on the mayor. Chervenak also pointed to Cantrell's extensive worldwide travels as another reason why her ratings remain in the tank.
"Constituents expect the mayor to demonstrate the impact of the travel on the city," Chervenak said. "Mayors, they travel. That's what they do, but they need to show tangible results. They've got to secure some resources or some funding or raise the city's profile in some positive manner. The question for a lot of people is: Are we getting the return on our investment? And for most citizens, the answer is 'no.'"
Can Cantrell improve her image in her final year-and-a-half in office? Chervenak says maybe.
"Anything is possible," Chervenak said. "We're going to have the Super Bowl coming to the city, and this gives her an opportunity to spruce up the city, pay attention, be a leader, (and) be a manager to get things done so we can get the city prepared for the Super Bowl."