As the City Council’s leading advocate on the quest for more affordable housing, District B Councilmember Lesli Harris has a lot at stake on Tuesday, November 5th’s elections. Harris is heading up the effort to pass the New Orleans Housing Trust Fund – a long needed addition to the City Charter that would annually dedicate at least 2% of the City’s General Fund budget to preserve and expand affordable housing for low-to-moderate income residents.
Though city leaders have frequently invested in affordable housing in past years, the dollars were never enough to make a real difference in the long-term. This ballot initiative would set money aside on a permanent basis and create a set of affordable housing building blocks for the future. According to U.S. census data, more than half of renters and 30% of New Orleans homeowners struggle to cover their housing costs, due in part to ever-rising insurance expenses.
Housing advocates are solidly behind the initiative because its funding is locked in place year after year. The Bureau of Governmental Research opposes the measure for the same reason – that those dollars would not be available for other uses if the need ever arose. Though not a tax per se, some homeowners who already feel cash-strapped may support the BGR’s position and vote against the measure.
As proposed, the trust fund is not a perfect document, but it is a step forward. More affordable housing for working families will help keep our tourism industry-dependent economy rolling along.
Another upcoming ballot measure that would benefit many New Orleanians is the Workers’ Bill of Rights charter amendment. It includes provisions for job safety, a fair compensation minimum of $15 per hour, and benefits including insurance, paid leave for medical care, family bereavement and vacation time. According to Step Up Louisiana, this amendment would incentivize businesses to fairly compensate and treat employees with respect. Who can argue that New Orleans doesn’t need good jobs? Costs to operate any business are continuing to rise, but there is much to be said for human decency.
Two highly contested school board races in School Board Districts 2 and 4 pit pro-charter school advocates against individuals who prefer OPSB control over low-performing schools. What makes these races interesting is that national pro-charter interests have invested more than $200,000 in the two local races to ensure that Orleans Parish’s charter school movement remains strong.
After all, New Orleans is the poster child for all-charter school systems in America. If this system returns to more direct-run schools, it will cast a shadow on other potential all-charter systems around the country. New Orleans has several excellent charter schools but also many that fail to provide the quality education students – especially children of color – must have to succeed in life.
Businesswoman Leslie Jacobs, who birthed the charter school movement in Louisiana, is heavily invested in these two races although she no longer resides in the city full-time. Jacobs’ influence has shaped this competition and significantly continues to do so going into Election Day. Though her candidates were unknown at the beginning of the race, both were lifted by Jacobs’ support.
In District 2, long-time educator Dr. Eric Jones is running a grassroots campaign against well-funded Entergy executive Chan Tucker, a charter school board member and parent, and Gabriela Biro, a hairstylist and mother. Jones has been endorsed by Congressman Troy Carter, the district’s State Senator Joe Bouie and many other elected officials. Biro is supported by UTNO, VOTE and other progressive organizations. Tucker is supported by Jacobs and benefits from pro-charter PAC dollars.
In District 4, incumbent School Board member Dr. Donaldo Batiste brings more than 50 years of academic experience as a teacher, principal and superintendent to the table. Challenging him is WWOZ official KaTrina Chantelle Griffin a mother of public school students who is active with many community organizations. Supported by Congressman Carter and a plethora of Westbank elected officials, Batiste is relying on his depth of knowledge and years of service in public education. Griffin has leveraged the support of Jacobs and other pro-charter resources to build her reputation.
Congressman Troy Carter faces Devin Davis and several other candidates in his bid for re-election to Congressional District 2. Though Davis has worked hard to promote his progressive vision, Carter is well-liked for his ability to bring home significant funding to the district. The three Republicans in the race – Devin Lance Graham, Christy Lynch and Shondrell Perrilloux – are merely a blip on the screen in this heavily Democratic district. Christy Lynch has been endored by the Louisiana Republican Party.
Conversely, Democrat Mel Manuel has pounded away at several important issues in his uphill battle against incumbent Congressman Steve Scalise in Congressional District 1. Many voters appreciate Manuel’s dedication to transgender, binary and reproductive rights as well as universal basic income. Yet, Scalise is still a force of nature in the district. While the district’s new boundaries have added thousands of additional voters in uptown New Orleans, the shift is not enough now – nor might ever be – to drive a different outcome. Also vying for the seat are Randall Arrington, J. “Frankie” Hyers, and Ross Shales.
Donald Trump easily won Louisiana’s popular vote in 2020 and could win by even a larger margin in 2024. Of course, Trump won Louisiana’s electoral College votes as well – which are the ones that really count. Early voting in Louisiana broke records and could be viewed as positive for Trump. The overall number of registered Republicans has increased and conversely the number of registered Democrats decreased. More young people are registering as Independents. White turnout statewide during early voting was on an uptick. Early voting turnout by Louisiana’s Blacks was down by 30,000 voters.
Trump’s growing support in Louisiana could be attributed not only to increased Republican voter registration but also to an acknowledgment that many Democrats tend to vote like Republicans. Pollsters attest that voters are thinking about their personal economic situation when considering which presidential candidate to support. Although the economy is growing, inflation along with rising food, automotive, housing and insurance costs are making more voters financially insecure. Crime is still an issue nationwide. Despite Trump’s personal flaws, a chunk of the population believes their lives were better during his first term.
According to several polls, there appears to be a growing sentiment against undocumented migrants entering the U.S. and utilizing free services that other Americans pay for through their taxes but cannot access themselves. There is also a segment of the electorate that is tired of set-asides and other forms of affirmative action and is starting to push back at the ballot box.
Although Vice President Kamala Harris has presented many worthwhile campaign initiatives, Trump’s ability to stir base emotions in voters could overwhelm Harris’ best efforts. Racism and sexism are also playing into this race as men in general – especially Black men – ponder whether they can really support a female in power. The lessons of Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Clinton, and Shirley Chisholm are still being learned.
Orleans Parish is an outlier in Louisiana politics. The parish still votes Democratic. Unfortunately, more than 22,000 fewer Orleans Parish voters took advantage of early and absentee voting this year than in 2020. Perhaps they plan on voting on Election Day, perhaps not. Voter apathy could be setting in or at least an acknowledgement that their vote might not matter.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th. The polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters should remember to bring their identification to the polls. Campaigning is not allowed within 600 feet of a polling location. For questions regarding eligibility or where to vote, call 504 658-9000.
