About a month from today, we find out if anyone is challenging LaToya Cantrell for mayor of New Orleans. Qualifying begins for New Orleans' October primary.
Despite some grumbling in the hospitality and business community about Mayor Cantrell's more-restrictive measures to fight the pandemic, no big-name, well-funded candidates have yet stepped up to the plate. Political analyst Clancy DuBos says that's because voter for the most part seem to approve of her handling of the pandemic.
"The mayor continues to get high marks in the polls mostly for, I think, the way she has handled the pandemic," said DuBos. "People believe she made some very tough decisions."
DuBos says Cantrell could be vulnerable on one issue that is often most important with voters, and that is crime.
"If she does have a weakness, and every politician does, it would be crime, because lots of people are very upset about the crime situation."
DuBos says a candidate who can raise money, has a high public profile, and makes crime the major issue could make the race more challenging.
Without even a hint of a major challenger in the mayor's race, New Orleans city council races may get more attention, thanks to an open council at-large seat, and the possible return of a former council-at-large member.
"Oliver Thomas -- he has formed an exploratory committee, and he is testing the waters and talking to people and having meetings and getting feedback and listening," said DuBos.
Despite Thomas' 2007 guilty plea in federal court to taking bribes that resulted in his leaving the council in disgrace, DuBos says Thomas has done his time, has done community work, and has been getting encouragement to get back into politics.