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<p>Outspoken and colorful Orleans Parish School Board member Jimmy Fahrenholtz will run for mayor of New Orleans. According to Fahrenholtz, I have been in the business world. I've been a union leader. I'm an attorney. I've led nonprofits. I've got national awards. If not me, who? If not now, when? Fahrenholtz, a Democrat in his second term on the board, will try to become the first white mayor of New Orleans in almost 30 years. Along with fellow school board member Una Anderson, Fahrenholtz is considered the board's strongest advocate for change and reform. Fahrenholtz will campaign by focusing on hot-button issues such as the police force residency requirement, which he wants to abandon. His tenure on the school board has been volatile as Fahrenholtz often clashes with fellow members such as Board President Torin Sanders. However, Fahrenholtz was a staunch supporter of former Orleans Parish School Superintendent Anthony Amato's efforts to change the school system. Fahrenholtz, who has considered switching to the GOP, is philosophically moderate to conservative on economic issues and liberal on social issues. He likely will have plenty of company in opposing Nagin but the full outline of the race will not be known until an election date is set. The election, originally scheduled for Feb. 4, 2006, will likely be postponed due to multiple problems caused by Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of voters have been displaced and many voting precincts have been damaged. Although Secretary of State Al Ater worked out an agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send absentee ballots to evacuees around the country, some African-American leaders are threatening legal action claiming a premature election will be an infringement of voting rights. A slew of other candidates interested in the race includes former New Orleans Councilwoman Peggy Wilson; however, there have been few official announcements. In the meantime, Mayor C. Ray Nagin is continuing his town hall meetings and visiting with Katrina evacuees in Houston, Memphis, Baton Rouge and other cities. These meetings, while somewhat confrontational, do give Nagin a chance to unofficially pitch his candidacy to New Orleans voters. </ p><p>Secretary of State race When Secretary of State Fox McKeithen died, his trusted assistant Ater took over the position. According to Louisiana law, the election to fill this position will take place at the time of the next congressional election, the fall of 2006. Ater said Wednesday he will not seek a full term as secretary of state. It is widely expected that Fox McKeithen's daughter, Marjorie McKeithen, will run for her father's old job. Marjorie McKeithen is a Democrat in the tradition of her grandfather, former Louisiana Gov. John McKeithen and unlike her father who switched to the GOP. Marjorie McKeithen lost a hotly contested election in 1998 against Republican incumbent Rep. Richard Baker. Since then, she has declined repeated overtures to run for various political positions and focused on her career as an attorney. Although McKeithen would be considered the favorite in any race, she would certainly not get a free ride from the GOP. Expect Republicans to compete for more statewide offices in 2006-07. The Louisiana GOP wants to continue its momentum from 2004, when they won their first U.S. Senate race since Reconstruction with David Vitter's primary election victory. </ p><p>Session helps Blanco Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco helped her political standing with a somewhat successful 17-day legislative session. Accomplishments include the state takeover of 102 failing public schools in Orleans Parish, tax relief for businesses and a statewide building code. The major failing, according to most analysts and even Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, was the inability to pass the levee board consolidation bill introduced by state Sen. Walter Boasso, R-Arabi. Blanco will bring back this measure in the next session, probably in January. These legislative accomplishments come at a good time for Blanco, who has suffered from criticism of her leadership during and after Hurricane Katrina. Time Magazine recently ranked Blanco the second-worst governor in the country. According to recent polls by SurveyUSA and Southern Media, Blanco's approval ratings are below 50 percent. The governor still has two years until she faces the voters again.- </p><p>Jeff Crouere is the host of Ringside Politics, which airs at 8:30 p.m. Friday and 10:30 p.m. Sunday on WLAE-TV 32 and from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on WOMN 1110 AM on the North Shore and KVOL 1330 AM in Lafayette. Reach him at [email protected].</p><p></p>