The well-worn cliche says if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
didn’t stop. She’s been a for years. She’s wanted to be an elected public servant. Rather than try, fail and stop, Bridges tried again, failed. Tried again, failed. Then tried again.
Bridges has run so much in recent years that some prominent elected officials and campaign operatives consider her a joke as a candidate.
In 2020, she ran for the Orleans Parish Criminal Court Section K seat. She led a field of three candidates. Got into a runoff. She almost made it. She got 49% of the vote. The winner snared 51%.
In 2021, Bridges ran for City Council District C seat. She made it into a runoff. She won 38% of the vote. The winner got more than 62%.
In 2023, she ran for Orleans Parish Civil District Court Division B. She got 27.5% of the vote. The winner got more than 56%.
This year, in 2026, Bridges ran to fill the unexpired term of recently retired judge Paulette Irons in Civil District Court Division M, someone she has known for years. The term ends December 31.
A few years ago, Perque ran for the Orleans Parish Civil District Court Division A seat. He lost. He also ran for the Orleans Civil District Court E seat. He lost.
Proving that every vote counts, Bridges beat the odds as she faced a much better-financed candidate, attorney Richard Perque. He had about $340,000, far more than Bridges had. Perque even ran television commercials in the closing days of the campaign. He’s an experienced campaigner. He’s run for public office three times.
With years working in the community as an attorney, a business person and as a volunteer helping people with legal and notary needs, Bridges’ dream is being fulfilled. She took advantage of the anti-Gov. Jeff Landry sentiment that drove some people to the polls with anger about congressional redistricting in the state, frustration because Calvin Duncan, elected as Orleans Parish Criminal Court Clerk, was denied his seat and a sense that voters, especially Black voters, had to speak up.
Bridges tried, tried and tried again.
This time, with 78,952 votes cast in her election, Bridges came out on top by a margin of 634 votes.
The unofficial tallies were provided Saturday night, but as of Sunday afternoon Bridges still was uncertain that she’d won. “I’m still not there yet,” she told me after several church visits. “I’ve been getting calls and people have been saying ‘You upset the system’ and ‘Girl, you’re powerful.’ “
Bridges won. She beat the odds. She beat the traditional political system. Perque was supported by New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams, Orleans Parish Sheriff Michelle Woodfork, five current and one former City Council members, former Gov. John Bel Edwards, former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and Irons, the judge she will succeed. That’s a lot of heavyweight political support. It wasn’t enough.
Perque is proud of that support, but he told me he thinks the U.S. Supreme Court Callais decision, congressional redistricting and the Duncan drama was too much. “I think they looked at (my supporters) and decided, ‘He’s just one of them.’” Still, he said, he’s proud that so many New Orleanians cast ballots.
Voters chose the woman they see at libraries, at community meetings with as few as 10 people and at Kwanzaa events when she doesn’t have a speaking role.
Will there be a rematch?
Perque wants to rest before making a decision.
Bridges plans a fifth run this fall, for a full judicial term. This time as an incumbent.