In a flourish befitting the city’s theatrical heartbeat, Helena Moreno was sworn in Monday as the 63rd mayor of New Orleans during a ceremony at the Saenger Theater, with an unexpected guest administering the oath: former Vice President Kamala Harris. The crowd of lawmakers, residents, and celebrities rose to its feet as Harris stepped onto the stage, turning an already historic moment into a civic spectacle.
Harris, currently in New Orleans for her book tour, framed Moreno’s inauguration as part of a broader national story about cities shaping the country’s future. “The future of America is being built in cities like this, and their leaders who honor the past, meet the present moment and invest in the future,” Harris said before inviting Moreno to repeat the oath. “And that is the kind of leadership Helena Moreno brings to this moment.”
Moreno now becomes the city’s first mayor of Hispanic descent, a distinction Harris highlighted as both symbolic and substantive. She described meeting Moreno years ago and immediately sensing her resolve. “Not only is she talented, but she is tough,” Harris said. “She will never stop fighting for the people of New Orleans.”
Harris praised the city itself as a cultural force whose “creativity and resilience” have long shaped the national imagination. She acknowledged New Orleans as a place of hardship and reinvention, one that “has always chosen hope.” With playful regret, Harris also nodded to the city’s celebratory spirit, telling the audience she was disappointed to have missed the second line downtown during the mayor’s culture festival. “And boy do I hate that I missed the second line yesterday,” she said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Absent from the ceremony was outgoing Mayor LaToya Cantrell, whose turbulent final years created political headwinds that shaped the 2026 race. Cantrell, facing ongoing federal corruption charges and declining public approval, opted not to seek reelection after a bruising stretch marked by ethics controversies and mounting questions about misuse of city resources. Her decision not to run again cleared the political field and accelerated momentum behind Moreno, who campaigned on transparency, stability, and restoring public trust.
With Harris’ surprise appearance and the city’s shifting political winds, Moreno enters office at a moment heavy with expectations but buoyed by history.
