New Orleans Mayor is not Black, and she is the duly elected mayor of ถถา๕h's largest city.

ย is originally from Mexico and she grew up in Texas, but this non-Black, White Latina has become a part of this community as much as many other transplants have. Heck, she's more New Orleans than some New Orleanians. She can't second line like the best of New Orleans second liners can, but neither can I, a native.ย 

No, Moreno isn't Black. Neither were former New Orleans Mayors Moon Landrieu and Mitch Landrieu. Neither are Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards, Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis or Shreveport Mayorย ,

They're all White guys who led or who are leading majority Black cities. Moon Landrieu was elected in 1970 ย with aboutย . He was reelected. Mitch Landrieu was first elected with about 70% of the Black vote, and he had Black opponents.ย 

New Orleans is more than 55% Black, and Moreno won -- without a runoff -- with . With more than 75% of the city's White voters choosing Moreno, she didn't need 90% or 70% of the Black vote. With two prominent Black mayoral candidates and others in the race, she needed about a third of the Black vote -- and she got it.

Depending on who's making whatever point, Moreno has been running for mayor for four, eight or 12 years. There are those who are certain that Moreno's election was a deliberate, carefully planned strategy to move away from Black leadership.

"It was not an accident that we did not elect a Black mayor," New Orleans Tribune Editor Anitra Brown told me on a special edition of the Good Morning Show on WBOK Monday morning just before Moreno was sworn in. "It was a design." She said the attacks on and criticisms of Mayor LaToya Cantrell were deliberate "not just to marginalize not just the current mayor, but to disparage Black leadership as a whole."

Frequent Moreno critic Jeff Thomas, publisher and editor of Think504 and a supporter of former City Council member Oliver Thomasโ€™ mayoral campaign, is skeptical but open. "This is the first time in years at City Hall that City Hall can pull together" with a City Council aligned with the mayor, he said. "I'm optimistic that we can move in a positive direction."

It's going to be hard to overcome some concerns. But it is possible. The city gave her a vote of confidence; residents should give her a chance.

Moreno is mayor in part because former Biden White House advisor and former congressman Cedric Richmond, U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis and State Sen. Jimmy Harris supported her based on her experience, leadership and track record. They're all Black. Moreno won for a number of reasons, including her intentionally getting to know Black culture, Black people and Black issues.

Like the city of New Orleans, the mayor's inauguration at theย Saenger Theatre was quite Black. Richmond and his wife sat next to Moreno and her husband. A couple of seats over were former Judge Charbonnet and her husband, Dr. Corey Hebert. Former Vice President Kamala Harris got thunderous applause as she took the stage before swearing in her friend alongside three Black women, former Judge Desiree Charbonnet, ถถา๕h Fourth Circuit of Appeals Judge Paula Brown and ถถา๕h Supreme Court Justice Piper Griffin.

Most of the prominent performers during the delightful music program were Black. The ever-popular Sunni Patterson recited a poem written specifically for the moment.

There are some raw feelings among some Black residents and voters who wanted to continue the trend of having a Black mayor. State Sen. Royce Duplessis and Oliver Thomas lost to Moreno; both at least alluded in their campaigns to the cityโ€™s history of electing Black mayors.

Duplessis attended the inauguration. Thomas did not; he did tune in. OT told me on WBOK Tuesday that New Orleans should give Moreno at least six to nine months to see what she can do.

It will take time to heal some wounds, to earn the respect and trust of some. National Bar Association president-elect and former City Council member James Carter told me after the program that though he supported Duplessis, Moreno reached out to him and included him on her transition team. More of that is needed. Lewis said she will be successful if she pursues inclusivity and access for all.

Moreno has a chance to win a second term if she shows Black New Orleans that her slogan "all in" isn't just a call to follow her, but a promise that she knows Black New Orleans is central to the city's success. That can start with major projects with great impact on Black communities -- and large city contracts.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@theadvocate.com.

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Will Sutton: As New Orleans chooses a new mayor, race and endorsements matter

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Columnist Will Sutton looks at race, and endorsements, in the New Orleans mayoral campaign.

"In the race for New Orleans mayor, most serious New Orleans voters are listening toย , City Council Vice Presidentย ย and City Council District E memberย ฬฒนฒ๕ฬย to replace Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

Each is qualified.

One is White. Two are Black.

And, yes, race matters. So do endorsements."

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