Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer
New Orleans, LA (AHN) - New Orleans is voting for a new mayor, in an election which will decide who will rebuild the home of Jazz.
Polls in the Big Easy opened at 6 a.m. local time, Saturday, where incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin faces 20 challengers.
Nagin, 49, who was criticized along with much of the State and Federal government for their response to Hurricane Katrina, maintains, "I did the tough things."
"I fussed. I cussed. I got on the president, the governor, got things moving."
Yet, Nagin faces still competition by Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, and local businessman Ron Forman who has raised over $1.6 million for his campaign.
The election itself will be difficult. Louisiana Secretary of State Al Ater, whose office oversees election preparations admits, "It's a major undertaking, to say the least."
Alter adds, "I tell people we're in uncharted waters."
According to officials, New Orleans still has roughly 298,000 registered voters, despite the great displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina, eight months ago.
However, the multiple candidates, makes it unlikely that any one person will get more than the 50 percent of the votes needed to win the race uncontested, meaning a runoff between the top two finishers is very likely.