Local politics can be a tricky bag to sort out, and the upcoming mayoral race is no different. Details are still shaking out and not all the prospective candidates have officially entered the race. That can make it hard to get a good bead on what the race will look like going forward. Political columnist Clancy Dubos said, in speaking to WWL’s Tommy Tucker, says he expects to see a large field of prospective candidates during this cycle.
“I think the safest prediction is that we’ll see a large field. Whenever there’s an open race for mayor, meaning there’s no incumbent, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a double-digit amount of candidates enter the race,” Dubos says. He does emphasize that not all prospective candidates will be taken seriously, though.
Helena Moreno has officially announced and is very well-financed.
Dubos expects that she would poll quite well right now, but emphasizes that polling is essentially a snapshot in time and with so many prospective candidates able to shake things up … much could change. One big name who hasn’t officially announced is Oliver Thomas, and Dubos adds that his hesitation to announce could be strategic.
“Waiting in the wings right now is Oliver Thomas, who is widely thought to be a candidate and has expressed private interest with potential donors and supporters,” Dubos says. “But, because he’s well-known already in this city, he can afford to wait.” That said, Dubos points out that this could be Thomas’ last shot to run for the position, as he is nearing 70 years old. He also adds that waiting too long to officially announce could have consequences when it comes to financing and campaign momentum.