Tyrell Morris, formerly the leader of the Orleans Parish Communications District and presently facing accusations in state court of malfeasance in office and other charges, is running for Mayor of New Orleans, according to WWL-TV.
Morris departed OPCD in 2023 months after he was involved in a car crash in a city-owned vehicle. According to investigators, Morris retroactively altered OPCD policy in order to avoid a mandatory drug and alcohol test following the crash.
Morris also faced scrutiny over a multi-million dollar contract to upgrade the 911 center's computer software. The New Orleans Office of Inspector General reported Morris altered language in the contract and claimed there were other irregularities that ultimately that torpedoed the deal, but not before it cost city taxpayers $3.8 million.
Morris told WWL-TV, "The City of New Orleans has all of the ingredients to be the best city in the world. It requires a leader who will listen, be honest and work with everyone, even those who are critical of them."
Qualifying for city elections is July 9-11.
The primary is October 11, with a runoff scheduled for November 15, if necessary.
