LaToya Cantrell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids LaToya Cantrell
Cantrell in 2022
62nd Mayor of New Orleans
Incumbent
Assumed office May 7, 2018
Preceded by	Mitch Landrieu
Member of the New Orleans City Council from District B
In office December 19, 2012 – May 7, 2018
Preceded by	Diana Bajoie (interim)
Succeeded by	Jay Banks
Personal details
Born	LaToya Wilder (1972-04-03) April 3, 1972 (age 53) Compton, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jason Cantrell ​ ​ (m. 1999; his death 2023)​
Children	1
Residences	New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Education	Xavier University of Louisiana (BA)

LaToya Cantrell (born April 3, 1972) is an American politician. She has been the Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana since May 7, 2018. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Cantrell is the first woman to be the mayor of New Orleans. Before becoming mayor, she was a member of the New Orleans City Council for District B from 2012 to 2018.

Early Life and Education

LaToya Cantrell was born as LaToya Wilder in Compton, California. This city is in Los Angeles County, California. She moved to New Orleans in 1990. She went to Xavier University of Louisiana and earned a degree in sociology. Sociology is the study of how people live together in groups. She also attended a special training program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Helping the Broadmoor Neighborhood

Cantrell returned to New Orleans in 1999. She settled in the Broadmoor neighborhood. In 2003, she joined the board of the Broadmoor Improvement Association. She became the president of this group in 2004.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Broadmoor neighborhood was badly flooded. It stayed mostly empty for many months. In 2006, a group called the Bring New Orleans Back Commission suggested turning Broadmoor into a green space. As president of the association, Cantrell worked with residents and religious leaders. They organized to oppose this plan. She also helped residents create their own recovery plan for the neighborhood.

Cantrell worked full-time on Broadmoor's recovery plan from 2006 to 2012. She and other residents helped reopen the Andrew H. Wilson school. She also helped start the Broadmoor Development Corporation. This group helped returning residents with social services. She was involved in reopening the Rosa F. Keller Library. This library received a $2 million grant. She also helped create the Broadmoor Art and Wellness Center.

Political Journey

Serving on the New Orleans City Council

In 2012, Cantrell decided to run for the New Orleans City Council. The seat was open because the previous representative, Stacy Head, moved to a different position. Cantrell won the election in December 2012. She won with 54 percent of the votes. She then served the rest of Head's term. In 2014, she ran again for a full four-year term and was unopposed.

As a council member, Cantrell focused on health, housing, and justice issues. She introduced a bill to ban smoking in restaurants and bars in New Orleans. She said this was to protect the health of workers. The council passed this bill in 2015.

In 2015, Cantrell also started working to open a homeless shelter. This shelter was later moved to a downtown location. In 2017, she helped introduce a law to register and inspect rental homes in the city. She also worked to install crime cameras and improve the New Orleans Police Department.

Becoming Mayor in 2017

Cantrell announced she was running for mayor in March 2017. The previous mayor, Mitch Landrieu, could not run again. There were 18 candidates in the first election on October 14. Cantrell received the most votes, with 39%. In the final election on November 18, Cantrell won against Desiree Charbonnet. She received 60% of the votes. She became the first woman to lead New Orleans in its 300-year history. She was also the first mayor not born in the city since Vic Schiro.

Mayor of New Orleans

Cantrell became mayor on May 7, 2018. She was the first woman to hold this important job. Once in office, she created a new Office of Youth and Families. This office helps families in need. Cantrell also started a Gun Violence Reduction Council. This group works to find ways to reduce violent crime.

She also started her #fairshare initiative. This plan aims to improve city services. These include city infrastructure, public transportation, and parks. As part of this, in October 2018, the City of New Orleans filed a lawsuit against some companies that make and sell pain medicines.

In 2019, Cantrell worked with Governor John Bel Edwards to get more money for New Orleans. This agreement, called the Fair Share Agreement, brought $50 million for city improvements. It also provided $26 million in yearly income for the city. After this, New Orleans voters approved three of four plans Cantrell and the City Council put on the ballot. These included a $500 million bond sale and a tax on short-term rental properties. They also approved creating a Human Rights Commission.

In December 2023, Mayor Cantrell signed new rules into law. These rules limit how many students can live in single-family homes near Tulane and Loyola universities.

Re-election in 2021

Cantrell was re-elected as mayor in November 2021. She won by a large amount, getting 65% of the votes. Her campaign focused on how New Orleans handled the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. She also talked about the need for better-paying jobs, improved public health, and new technologies for the city's future.

Challenges and Decisions

In 2017, some questions arose about how some city credit cards were used. Mayor Cantrell later clarified these uses and repaid the amounts. She suggested that the rules for using public money needed to be clearer.

In August 2022, a petition was started to try and remove Mayor Cantrell from office. The people organizing it collected many signatures. However, officials found that not enough of the signatures were valid. So, the effort to remove her did not succeed.

In August 2023, New Orleans city leaders voted on a city-owned apartment. Mayor Cantrell had used this apartment. The City Council decided to make the apartment available for rent to the public.

As of January 2023, Cantrell's team arranged for a national group to help find a new police chief for New Orleans. On September 11, 2023, the mayor announced that Anne Kirkpatrick was hired as the new chief.

Personal Life

LaToya Cantrell lives in New Orleans with her daughter, RayAnn. In August 2023, the city announced that her husband, Jason, had passed away at age 55. They had been married since 1999.

In 2016, Cantrell received a special award for her service to the community. This award came from the presidents of Tulane, Loyola, Xavier, and the University of New Orleans.

See also

In Spanish: LaToya Cantrell para niños

• List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States