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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 11, 2026
Councilmember Lesli Harris Releases Statement Following No Votes Regarding Orleans Parish Clerk of Court
NEW ORLEANS, LA — Councilmember Lesli Harris released the following statement following the council’s vote on a new election for the now consolidated Clerk of Court for Orleans Parish position, and the appointment of an interim Clerk of Court for Orleans Parish:
“Today, I could not support these resolutions, calling for a special election and naming an interim Clerk of Court. I voted no today because I do not believe the resolutions put before the Council today uphold the decisions of the voters of the City of New Orleans.
I - along with all of the members of this Council and the broader public - have been in opposition to the merger of the Clerks’ offices since the bill was filed in the legislature.
I believe that calling a special election today, while state and federal litigation on this very subject is pending, will contribute to the chaos, confusion, and ultimately voter disenfranchisement. These actions, in my opinion, will impact this Saturday’s election. In fact, the Council has almost two weeks before the special election would need to be called, in order to meet statutory requirements.
Let me be clear, I believe this action is playing into the hands of Baton Rouge. There are two Clerk of Court offices for Orleans Parish. While state legislation has attempted to combine them, Act 15 is still in active litigation; its validity is not yet settled. Yet the resolutions today assume there is now only one Clerk of Court position representing all of Orleans Parish.
By calling a special election we are both getting rid of a duly elected Black woman’s position prematurely and forcing two Black elected officials to run against each other. This comes in an environment where the state legislature is actively trying to eliminate up to 15 Black elected officials’ positions.”
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Contact:
Emma Trunkle
Director of Communications
Councilmember Lesli Harris, District B
Emma.Trunkle@nola.gov
406.871.4693
 New Orleans City Council
The New Orleans City Council is the legislative branch of the New Orleans city government. The Council considers and enacts all local laws that govern the City of New Orleans. The Council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City, as recommended by the mayor, and continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The City Council is also the regulatory body for public utilities. It also reviews and has the final say on many land use and zoning matters, as well as considers major economic development projects for the City. As a Board of Review for Orleans Parish, the Council examines appeals of property tax assessments for real estate taxes and certifies tax rolls to the Louisiana Tax Commission. Other responsibilities of the Council include overseeing the operation of the public access television in Orleans Parish. Streaming video and video archives of the City Council's Regular and Committee meetings can be found on the City Council website.
The City Council is comprised of five districts and Councilmembers-at-large: Council President and Councilmember-at-Large JP Morrell; Council Vice President and Councilmember-At-Large Matthew Willard; District "A" Councilmember Aimee McCarron; District "B" Councilmember Lesli D. Harris; District "C" Councilmember Freddie King III; District "D" Councilmember Eugene J. Green, Jr.; and District "E" Councilmember Jason Hughes.
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