The term will be for two and a half years, filling the unexpired term of Thomas. Who may be interested in this high profile position?

Already, some political names have surfaced:

Ø      State Senator Diana Bajoie-she is term limited and has been contacted by supporters to enter the race. Bajoie is also considering a race for the State House against attorney Natacha Hutchinson for the seat being vacated by Jalila Jefferson, who is running for the State Senate

Ø      Jay Batt—the owner of local Joseph Banks clothing stores is also the former Council A member. He has been looking at a State Senate campaign against incumbent Ed Murray, but may be persuaded to jump into this race

Ø      Constable Lambert Boissiere, Jr.—he is a former State Senator and Councilman and is a well known and respected public servant. His son serves as Public Service Commissioner

Ø      Councilman James Carter—the District C council member is a close confidante of Oliver Thomas. He is also being touted as a potential congressional candidate, but seems likely to try to follow the footsteps of his political mentor Thomas

Ø      Jackie Clarkson—the former legislator and council member was narrowly defeated in the at-large re-election bid in 2006. If she can raise the money, she would be one of the favorite candidates

Ø      Rob Couhig—the former mayoral candidate and talk show host is giving the race some consideration. He has personal wealth and could finance the race, but he is involved in numerous businesses and a radio career that may preclude him from running

Ø      Hon. Louella Givens—Member of the state BESE board. She is a long shot because she has low name identification and would have to raise plenty of money in a short time frame

Ø      Councilwoman Stacy Head—the District B council member has earned high marks for her performance during the past year and may try for the promotion

Ø      Kristin Palmer—a neighborhood activist who is Director of Rebuilding Together, a non profit group. She ran a strong race in District C last year, finishing a close second to James Carter. Her supporters are encouraging her to throw her hat into this race.

Ø      State Representative Cedric Richmond—high profile legislator who is seriously considering his options. He has been a leader in the legislative black caucus.

Of the ten potential candidates listed above, five are white and five are black, five are men and five are women, eight are Democrats and two are Republicans, which shows how much this seat is up for grabs. Yet, the issue that may play the most important role is race, not surprising for New Orleans politics.

With the departure of Thomas, there are three African American members and three white members on the New Orleans City Council. The winner of the at-large race will determine the racial majority on the council. For many years, African Americans have occupied the majority of seats on the council. For some African American activists, it is vitally important for an African American to win the upcoming at-large race so black members will retain the majority status on the council.

Despite the displacement of many citizens in the aftermath of Katrina, African Americans still comprise a solid majority of the voters in New Orleans, although the percentage did decline after the storm.

If there is a major African American candidate, such as Ray Nagin running for Governor, on the October 20^th statewide ballot, the African American turnout will be relatively high. This most likely means that an African American candidate will win the at-large race. If Nagin does not run, the black turnout will be lower, giving a white candidate a better chance of winning the at-large race. At this point, it is too early to make predictions about who will win the race, but there is not doubt that the next three months will be very interesting for those involved in local politics.  

Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 8:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 5 till 9 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.