With qualifying for district attorney and for most members of New Orleans judiciary set to begin Wednesday, August 5, elected officials, candidates, their donors and key constituents have been making the rounds of campaign kick-offs like the one hosted by Criminal Court Judge Robin Pittman late last week at the Cannery. First elected to Criminal Court in 2008, Pittman addressed a packed house and then exited the stage with assistance from DA Jason Williams before leading a lively second-line around the ballroom.
Pittman wasn’t the only star that evening. Williams, who held a well-attended fundraiser last week, commanded his own corner of the room where supporters lined up to kiss the ring. Elected as a progressive almost six years ago, Williams is still very popular with much of the New Orleans electorate. Yet Williams’ detractors have been encouraging Criminal Court Judge John Fuller to qualify against him.
The Louisiana Legislature (Act 748) recently eliminated Fuller’s section – as well as the sections of Judge Simone Levine and Judge Rhonda Goode-Douglas – a law which Fuller challenged unsuccessfully at the Louisiana Supreme Court. Fuller was well-known in many segments of the community before he ran for judge last year and now has significantly boosted his visibility citywide.
After the court’s ruling last Friday, Fuller announced that he would not run against his judicial colleagues but has not commented on a potential challenge to Williams. Goode-Douglas previously said she would run against Judge Leon Roche whose seat was saved in a last-minute switch that cast out Goode-Douglas.
Roche was steadily working the room Thursday night as was Judge Simone Levine. Having lost her current seat due to the legislative action, Levine is committed to running for re-election but still has not announced which of her colleagues she will oppose. Many believe she will not run against Judge Camille Buras who was in attendance with her husband Michael Tifft. Buras is hoping to get re-elected without opposition for her fourth and probably last term.
Several criminal court judges have commented publicly that reducing the number of sections of court would increase the case load of the remaining judges and the amount of time for justice to be served.
Juvenile Court Judge Ranord Darensburg came to Pittman’s event to remind voters that he is on the November ballot and that the two juvenile court positions that were cut would be eliminated through attrition as terms end or judges retire.
Although the judges at Civil District Court survived the legislative challenge, three highly respected jurists – Kern Reese, Sidney Cates IV and Bernadette D’Souza – will be leaving the bench at the end of December, 2026. Several candidates seeking to fill those positions joined the crowd at Pittman’s kick-off.
Attorney Michael Hall was shaking every hand. He is making his second run for Civil District Court and will probably face attorney Marie Williams who has run for judge five times previously. Williams – who was not present – might lack Hall’s enthusiasm and energy but she does have a set of glamour shots that could serve as her re-introduction to voters. Hall will hold his campaign kick-off on August 5.
Already having announced her intent to succeed Judge Kern Reese, State Representative Candace Newell was lining up endorsements and securing donations in advance of her August 5 fundraiser. Opposing Newell will be attorney Warren McKenna, a relative of Coroner Dwight McKenna, and perhaps another female lawyer.
Newly elected Judge Stephanie Bridges didn’t make the event but is in campaign mode after the announcement by assistant city attorney Shawn Lindsay that he will qualify against her. Although some pundits labeled Bridges’ election as a fluke, the new jurist has an early advantage in the upcoming race. Attorney Darleen Jacobs is coordinating a fundraiser for Bridges next month. If Lindsey expects to unseat Bridges, he will have to take advantage of every campaign opportunity and run a more robust operation than her previous competitor Richard Perque.
Rounding out the field of already announced candidates is attorney Tiffany Delery currently the only contender to replace Judge Cates. A partner on the Trial Team at Chehardy Sherman Williams Recile & Hayes, Delery is also a mediator, arbitrator, wife, mother of two St. Augustine students, a former Marine and an eighth generation New Orleanian. Delery has already spun out more than 20 endorsements by elected officials and has an almost 60-person finance committee led by trial attorney Rico Alvendia, a former king of the Washington Mardi Gras. No other candidates have indicated they will run against Delery.
Qualifying takes place in Room 114 at Criminal District Court, 2900 Tulane Avenue. It begins at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5 and ends Friday, August 7 at 4:30 p.m.
