New Orleans re-elects Mayor Ray Nagin

Monday, May 22, 2006

The people of New Orleans have narrowly re-elected Ray Nagin as mayor with 52% of the vote, to beat fellow Democrat Mitch Landrieu in a second round run-off.

Nagin's handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and his brash style had polarised opinion in New Orleans. In his victory speech, Mr Nagin told supporters "we are ready to take off".

Mayor Nagin now faces the task of overseeing reconstruction work and helping tens of thousands of people displaced by last year's hurricane (Katrina) to return to New Orleans.

"We have citizens around the country who want to come back the city of New Orleans, and we're going to get them all back to the city of New Orleans," he said.

Many had expected the residents of New Orleans to vote largely along racial lines.

Mr. Landrieu is not only a white man, but is also the son of the city's last white mayor.

Nagin, who is black, was thought to have alienated many white voters last fall by referring to New Orleans as a "chocolate" city, but his election victory shows that many white voters still voted for him in the run-off.

Both mayoral contenders had vowed to rebuild New Orleans, which was devistated by Huricane Katrina on August 29th of last year. More than half of the New Orleans residents who fled Hurricane Katrina last year have not returned to the city, where many neighbourhoods are still uninhabitable.

A judge refused to postpone the first round of voting, despite fears many residents scattered by the hurricane would be unable to vote.

Some civil rights leaders have called the election unfair because of the lack of out-of-state polling centres.

Rev. Jesse Jackson has pledged to challenge the poll in court, regardless of its outcome.