NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Latest on Saturday’s mayoral election in New Orleans (all times local):
10:55 p.m.
It’s a historic election night in New Orleans, where voters have elected the first woman mayor and the first member of the Vietnamese community to serve on the City Council.
Complete returns show LaToya Cantrell, a City Council member, defeated former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet (DEZ’-uh-ray SHAR’-boh-nay) in the race to succeed term-limited Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
In a City Council race, Cyndi Nguyen (Winn), defeated an incumbent to become the first Vietnamese council member.
Nguyen’s biography says she and her family escaped communist Vietnam in 1975. She has worked as a coordinator for an affordable housing development and she started a nonprofit community-building organization.
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10 p.m.
City Council member LaToya Cantrell is the apparent victor in the New Orleans mayor’s race.
Her opponent, fellow Democrat and former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet (DEZ’-uh-ray SHAR’-boh-nay), conceded the race shortly after Cantrell’s victory speech late Saturday.
Cantrell will become the first woman elected mayor in the city’s history.
She takes office next year, as New Orleans celebrates its tri-centennial. She will succeed term-limited incumbent Democrat Mitch Landrieu.
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9:45 p.m.
City Council member LaToya Cantrell is declaring victory as the first woman elected mayor of New Orleans in the city’s history.
Cantrell opened a wide lead over former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet (DEZ’-uh-ray SHAR’-boh-nay), and maintained that lead as votes were counted into Saturday night.
Both candidates were Democrats. Cantrell will succeed term-limited incumbent Democrat Mitch Landrieu next year.
Cantrell referenced the city’s upcoming 300th anniversary celebration next year in her victory speech, saying “Almost 300 years, my friends, and New Orleans, we’re still making history.”
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8:40 p.m.
City Council member LaToya Cantrell has the early lead over former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet in an election to pick term-limited Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s successor.
Like Landrieu, both of the candidates in Saturday’s election are Democrats. The winner will be the first woman elected to the city’s top government job.
Landrieu is credited with accelerating the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. But Saturday’s winner will inherit lingering problems. Crime is one. Another is dysfunction at the agency overseeing city drainage and drinking water.
Polls closed at 8 p.m.
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8:05 p.m.
Polls have closed in New Orleans, and the counting has begun to determine which of two candidates will be the first woman elected mayor in the city’s history.
City Council member LaToya Cantrell and former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet (DEZ’-uh-ray SHAR’-boh-nay) were the top two finishers in a field of 18 last month. Both are Democrats vying to succeed another Democrat - term-limited incumbent Mitch Landrieu (LAND’-roo).
Landrieu is credited with accelerating the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. But Saturday’s winner will inherit lingering problems. Crime is one. Another is dysfunction at the agency overseeing city drainage and drinking water.
Negative campaigns sometimes overshadowed issues. Cantrell faced questions about here use of a city credit card. Charbonnet was cast by critics as an insider who would steer city work to political allies.
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5:45 p.m.
A hotly contested mayor’s race in New Orleans is drawing to a close, and the results will be historic, no matter the outcome.
City Council member LaToya Cantrell and former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet (DEZ’-uh-ray SHAR’-boh-nay) were the top two finishers among 18 candidates last month. On Saturday, they were in a runoff that would determine which one would become the first woman elected to serve as New Orleans’ mayor.
Both are Democrats vying to succeed term-limited incumbent Mitch Landrieu.
Landrieu is credited with accelerating the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. But Saturday’s winner will inherit a stubborn crime problem, plus troubles at the agency overseeing city drainage and drinking water.
Polls close at 8 p.m. local time.
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7 a.m.
New Orleans voters are choosing their next mayor in a runoff election that will result in a woman winning the top city government post for the first time.
City Council member LaToya Cantrell and former municipal Judge Desiree Charbonnet (DEZ’-uh-ray SHAR’-boh-nay) were the top two finishers among 18 candidates last month. Both are Democrats vying to succeed term-limited incumbent Mitch Landrieu.
Landrieu is credited with accelerating the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. But Saturday’s winner will inherit problems. Crime is one. Another is dysfunction at the agency overseeing city drainage and drinking water.
Negative campaigns sometimes overshadowed issues. Cantrell faced questions about her use of a city credit card. Charbonnet has been cast as a political insider by critics who raised fears she would steer city work to political cronies.
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