Nagin wins nail-biting New Orleans election
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) — New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin fought off a challenge from Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu to win re-election Saturday night.
Landrieu conceded the runoff ballot to his fellow Democrat, who had moved ahead in the count after the men were almost tied at the halfway point.
With all 442 precincts reporting, Nagin had 52.3 percent, or 59,460 votes, to Landrieu’s 47.7 percent, or 54,131 votes, according to The Associated Press.
AP reported that Nagin won majority-black precincts and Landrieu majority-white ones, but Nagin also attracted significant crossover support in predominantly white precincts in Uptown New Orleans.
The lead switched hands several times during the count in the contest for who will lead the hurricane-ravaged city through reconstruction.
Saturday night, Nagin celebrated victory in front of cheering crowds.
“It’s time for this city to start the healing process,” he said.
Landrieu told his supporters it was a hard-fought but fair campaign, and urged people to support Nagin during the rebuilding of New Orleans.
“We will do everything we can to bring this great city back,” he said, offering congratulations to Nagin.
The race was marked by friendly tones between the candidates and agreement on the major issues facing the city, which was smashed by Hurricane Katrina in August.
Nagin and Landrieu were forced into a runoff after neither man snared the necessary 50 percent of votes to take the city’s helm in the general election.
Nagin, 49, who was a cable company executive before becoming mayor, argued during the campaign that with recovery efforts at full-throttle, “now is not the time to change leadership.”
Landrieu, 45, has one of the best-known names in New Orleans politics. His father served two terms as mayor, and his sister is Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.
Race was always seen as key in the vote. Nagin is black; Landrieu is white. Before Katrina, the city had a 2-to-1 black majority and had not elected a white mayor since 1974, when Landrieu’s father, Moon, won.
However, flooding triggered by Katrina devastated heavily black areas, such as New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward, where few residents have been able to return, while sparing some mostly white areas, such as the French Quarter and Uptown, where many residents never left or quickly came back.
Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.
Landrieu conceded the runoff ballot to his fellow Democrat, who had moved ahead in the count after the men were almost tied at the halfway point.
With all 442 precincts reporting, Nagin had 52.3 percent, or 59,460 votes, to Landrieu’s 47.7 percent, or 54,131 votes, according to The Associated Press.
AP reported that Nagin won majority-black precincts and Landrieu majority-white ones, but Nagin also attracted significant crossover support in predominantly white precincts in Uptown New Orleans.
The lead switched hands several times during the count in the contest for who will lead the hurricane-ravaged city through reconstruction.
Saturday night, Nagin celebrated victory in front of cheering crowds.
“It’s time for this city to start the healing process,” he said.
Landrieu told his supporters it was a hard-fought but fair campaign, and urged people to support Nagin during the rebuilding of New Orleans.
“We will do everything we can to bring this great city back,” he said, offering congratulations to Nagin.
The race was marked by friendly tones between the candidates and agreement on the major issues facing the city, which was smashed by Hurricane Katrina in August.
Nagin and Landrieu were forced into a runoff after neither man snared the necessary 50 percent of votes to take the city’s helm in the general election.
Nagin, 49, who was a cable company executive before becoming mayor, argued during the campaign that with recovery efforts at full-throttle, “now is not the time to change leadership.”
Landrieu, 45, has one of the best-known names in New Orleans politics. His father served two terms as mayor, and his sister is Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.
Race was always seen as key in the vote. Nagin is black; Landrieu is white. Before Katrina, the city had a 2-to-1 black majority and had not elected a white mayor since 1974, when Landrieu’s father, Moon, won.
However, flooding triggered by Katrina devastated heavily black areas, such as New Orleans East and the Lower 9th Ward, where few residents have been able to return, while sparing some mostly white areas, such as the French Quarter and Uptown, where many residents never left or quickly came back.
Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.
