Helena Moreno was sworn in as New Orleans’ 63rd mayor on Monday (Jan. 12), making history as the city’s first Hispanic mayor and the second woman to assume the role.
Moreno’s inauguration was held at the Saenger Theater, privately funded by a committee chaired by New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson.
In her inaugural address, Moreno, 48, promised “excellence and urgency” in city government, as she tries to navigate the city out of a budget deficit and halt an exodus of residents leaving the city.
“ We will build a New Orleans that is safe, where we can drive down the street without busting up the car, where there is no limit to realizing a dream and where our children have endless opportunities for success. A New Orleans where our seniors live not in fear or uncertainty, but in dignity and in security,” she said. “We want a New Orleans that works for everyone, and I want you to envision that New Orleans. Because as of today, I'm telling you we have the will and we will find the way.”
Moreno, a Democrat, was sworn in by former vice president Kamala Harris, who called Moreno a “dear friend.”
“ From the very beginning, what stood out was not only that she [Moreno] is talented, but she is tough and has a shared love of our country and a shared belief that government must work for the people,” Harris said. “She is a dedicated public servant who believes in the dignity of working families, she believes in fairness and in the simple yet fundamental principle that elected leaders must be accountable to the people they serve.”
Moreno campaigned on platforms like transparency in government, a reduction in the budget deficit and improved city services.
Or, as she put it: “I’m all in for New Orleans.”
And the audience at the Saenger was all in for Moreno.
New Orleans personal injury attorney Morris Bart noted the “spirit of optimism” among attendants, calling it “unbelievable.”
“The quality of the mayor, along with her team… she's attracted really top-notch people to work with her that I think can do nothing but improve our city, and that's why I'm so positive and I'm so optimistic,” he said.
The seven city council members were also sworn in at Monday’s ceremony.
Moreno was born in Mexico to a Mexican father and American mother, and moved to Houston when she was young. She’s a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication. She relocated to New Orleans after college, and has since served as a journalist, state representative and city council member.
