While efforts are being made to ensure as many “chocolate” votes are cast in New Orleans as possible. And I’m sure if Ray Nagin looses the run-off election for mayor, that there will be a flurry of lawsuits claiming “civil rights” violations. There is some assumption that if hurricane Katrina never occurred that Blacks would have dominated the recent city of New Orleans Mayoral election (Orleans Parish). While there are more White voters now in that city than Blacks, in the 2002 the New Orleans Mayoral election had more White voters than Blacks. Ray Nagin received 90% of the White vote in his win back in 2002. He only received about 50% of the Black vote.

Check out the audio from this NPR “News & Notes with Ed Gordon” interview with Louisiana Secretary of State Al Ater. In the interview Mr. Ater points out that in 2002 45% of the voters in the New Orleans Mayoral election were Black. And he freely states that more Whites voted then than Blacks. There were 2 Black candidates in that election.

For those who are familiar with the voting precincts in New Orleans, here are the 2002 New Orleans precinct results. I’m not familiar with the layout of the precincts, so you can confirm or deny the Secretary of State’s statements for yourself, if you know the precincts. I’ll take Mr. Ater’s word for it. Given Blacks died for later generations to vote and many have still taken it for granted.

Now given Mayor Nagin was never very popular with Blacks and he’s ticked off many Whites. It will be no surprise to me if Ray Nagin looses the run-off election to Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu. But it will be very interesting watching the reaction from the usual band of race warlords, if Nagin looses.