LaToya Cantrell becomes New Orleans’ 1st woman mayor
NEW ORLEANS — LaToya Cantrell, a City Council member who first gained a political following as she worked to help her hard-hit neighbourhood recover from Hurricane Katrina, won a historic election Saturday that made her the first woman mayor of New Orleans.
The Democrat will succeed term-limited fellow Democrat Mitch Landrieu as the city celebrates its 300th anniversary next year.
“Almost 300 years, my friends. And New Orleans, we’re still making history,” Cantrell told a cheering crowd in her victory speech.
The leader in most polls before the runoff election, she never trailed as votes were counted.