Editor’s note: The article previously indicated that only Holly Friedman earned the endorsement from United Teachers of New Orleans. The article has been updated to reflect both candidates were endorsed by UTNO. The Greater AFL-CIO has also endorsed both candidates.
A Race Bigger Than One District
The runoff for New Orleans City Council District A might appear, at first glance, to be a neighborhood race. However, beneath the yard signs and candidate forums lies a battle over how New Orleans will govern itself in the face of a deepening fiscal crisis. This election is about whether the city will elect a councilmember who can navigate a broken municipal budget or one who will have to learn that reality on the job.
As of late October, New Orleans faces a projected budget shortfall exceeding $100 million, raising warnings of service cuts and tax hikes. Infrastructure is crumbling, drainage and water systems remain fragile, and frustration with city services is growing. Voters are watching tax dollars flow out while services lag behind.
Into this landscape step two sharply contrasting candidates: Aimee McCarron, a budget technician with years inside City Hall, and Holly Friedman, a constituent services veteran running on grassroots trust. Though both worked under outgoing Councilmember Joe Giarrusso, their visions for how to lead the district and help shape the city’s fiscal future are fundamentally different.
District A, which spans Lakeview, parts of Uptown, Hollygrove, Mid-City, and parts of Gert Town, has long produced councilmembers with outsized influence on citywide governance. That’s why Council President At-Large JP Morrell’s endorsement of Aimee McCarron landed like a political thunderclap.
Why JP Morrell’s Endorsement Matters
On October 18, Morrell wrote on X:
“I’m proud to endorse Aimee McCarron (@aimee4districta) for City Council District A 💥 Aimee has an encyclopedic knowledge of the city’s budget, and she will be an incredible asset on the Council next year. Early Voting starts Nov. 1st and Election Day is Nov. 15th!”
He followed up with a text message to voters underscoring that he’s “served with a lot of people on the Council” and knows “the difference between talk and results.” He called McCarron “that partner” who can help “fix what’s broken.”
Morrell’s words carry weight because of who he is. As Council President, he’s been at the center of budget negotiations and utility oversight battles for years. High-profile endorsements in New Orleans can shape donor behavior, volunteer networks, and organizational support; but this endorsement is different in that it’s anchored in budget fluency, which is the issue dominating this race. His support implicitly frames McCarron as the candidate most equipped to manage the city’s fiscal reality.
Friedman, for her part, has earned her own support, including from the United Teachers of New Orleans (UTNO) and several neighborhood advocates. Friedman’s base reflects community trust and local organizing power, but for McCarron, Morrell’s backing reflects institutional confidence. Additionally, McCarron has also received the endorsement from UTNO.
The Budget Elephant in the Room
Every campaign promise in this city eventually runs into the same obstacle: the budget. New Orleans’ deficit, now estimated at over $100 million, is forcing hard choices on policing, drainage, sanitation, and basic services.
Part of the problem isn’t just how much the city spends, but rather, how it spends. Over the past decade, City Hall has leaned heavily on outside consultants to handle functions that used to be managed in-house. In 2024 alone, tens of millions of dollars went to contractors for infrastructure, technology, and planning projects. The result has been high bills, delays, and little accountability.
This overreliance on consultants has become a defining issue in the District A race. McCarron has made cutting these inefficiencies and redirecting resources a central theme of her campaign. She argues that until the city rebuilds internal capacity and demands results, taxpayers will keep paying more while getting less.
Aimee McCarron: The Technocrat
McCarron’s approach is grounded in years of direct experience. As Policy and Budget Director for Councilmember Joe Giarrusso, she worked inside the city’s budget process and saw firsthand where dollars get tied up.
Her proposed solutions are concrete:
- Reduce dependency on consultants and rebuild in-house capacity.
- Tighten oversight of departmental spending with clear performance benchmarks.
- Prioritize core services like drainage, streets, sanitation, and permitting.
Her stance isn’t abstract; it’s rooted in frustration shared by many residents. Delayed projects, leaky infrastructure, and endless bureaucratic runarounds often trace back to how the city allocates, and mismanages money.
McCarron’s coalition reflects this technocratic strength. She’s backed by the Alliance for Good Government, the Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO, and JP Morrell. These are not only symbolic endorsements. These endorsements signal trust that she can govern.
Holly Friedman: The Grassroots Challenger
Holly Friedman is offering voters something different. As Constituent Services Director under Giarrusso, she was the person residents called when their trash wasn’t picked up, a pothole went unfilled, or a drainage project stalled.
Her platform emphasizes transparency, accountability, and neighborhood trust. She promises to make City Hall more accessible and visible, focusing on quality of life, public safety, and affordability. Her endorsement from UTNO underscores her appeal to unions, educators, and community organizers who value responsive government.
Friedman’s message resonates with residents who feel ignored by City Hall. She’s offering to be a voice on the ground. But her platform does not center on budget mechanics to the degree McCarron’s does, and in a fiscal crisis, that difference has consequences.
The Debate: A Study in Contrasts
The recent WWL debate crystallized the choice for many voters. Friedman leaned into her strength, which includes accessibility and community engagement. McCarron walked the audience through how funds flow through departments, where inefficiencies arise, and how she would fix them.
Friedman connected emotionally with voters frustrated by unresponsive government, while McCarron demonstrated she understood the machinery itself. The debate was a moment that revealed Friedman’s desire to rebuild trust with City Hall, and McCarron’s desire to make City Hall work.
Endorsement Dynamics and Power Play
Endorsements in New Orleans are about networks of power. McCarron has institutional weight behind her: JP Morrell, the Alliance for Good Government, and AFL-CIO. These endorsements align her with political and labor groups that often shape turnout and governance.
Friedman’s coalition reflects grassroots and union support from UTNO and neighborhood organizers. Friedman has also been endorsed by the Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO. Her strength is with those who want more responsive, less insulated leadership.
The endorsements mirror the philosophical divide between technocratic governance versus community trust. Morrell’s endorsement of McCarron is what sets McCarron apart.
What’s at Stake for New Orleans
The District A race is unfolding against the backdrop of a historic budget shortfall. With infrastructure strained and services underperforming, the next councilmember will help shape how the city spends and rebuilds capacity.
McCarron has centered her campaign on fiscal responsibility, contract oversight, and rebuilding internal capacity. Friedman has focused on trust and visibility, calling for a more accountable government. Both are real visions, but the budget crisis makes operational knowledge a decisive factor.
The choice before voters is not between good and bad leadership, but between two fundamentally different kinds of leadership.
JP Morrell’s endorsement reflects the view of someone who’s been on the inside of budget battles and believes McCarron can navigate them.
Friedman has earned the trust of community organizations, and that matters. But the city’s immediate challenges aren’t abstract. They’re about dollars, contracts, and capacity. That’s where McCarron has built her case.
District A has long been a seat that shapes the council’s direction. This year, it may shape how the entire city confronts its fiscal future. On November 15, voters are picking a councilmember who will decide how New Orleans will face the hard math ahead. And at this moment in time with the city on the brink of a fiscal nightmare, District A could use the leadership of a technocrat, who has demonstrated a profound and, as Council President Morrell has stated, “encyclopedic” knowledge of the budget.
