Desiree Charbonnet

Desiree Mary Charbonnet ( ; born on June 5, 1968) is an American politician, attorney, former Orleans Parish Recorder of Mortgages, and former Chief Judge of Orleans Parish Municipal Court. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Louis Charbonnet, III, one of the original 10 members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, was one of the first African Americans elected to serve in the Louisiana House of Representatives since the Reconstruction era.

Early life and education Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Charbonnet, the youngest of five children, grew up in the Gentilly neighborhood in New Orleans' 7th Ward. As of 2020, Charbonnet still resides in the Gentilly neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1990, she earned her baccalaureate degree in communications with a focus in public relations from Loyola University of New Orleans. Subsequently, Charbonnet clerked for Justice Johnson's successor, Judge Terri Love who currently serves on the Louisiana Fourth Circuit of Appeals.

Charbonnet later worked as partner in the law firm of her brother, Bernard L. Charbonnet Jr.

Early political career

Orleans Parish Recorder of Mortgages On February 7, 1998, at age 29, Charbonnet defeated the incumbent Orleans Parish Recorder of Mortgages, Michael McCrossen, becoming the first woman and first African American elected to the position.

Sirdaria I. Williams stated in Wonder Women: How Race and Gender Influenced News Coverage in the 2017 New Orleans and Atlanta Mayoral Elections that Charbonnet won the Recorder of Mortgages race "in an upset, defeating an incumbent backed by then-Mayor Marc Morial. Charbonnet's 1998 campaign, led by her brother, benefited from the support of a coalition of black political organizations."

Charbonnet was the first woman elected to serve as an Orleans Parish Municipal Court Judge. Charbonnet first got involved in creating new diversion court programs as part of the New Orleans task force of the American Bar Association's Racial Justice Improvement Project. In Louisiana, a sitting judge cannot seek another elected position, except another judgeship, without first stepping down.

2017 New Orleans mayoral election Charbonnet was a candidate in the 2017 New Orleans mayoral election.

On May 22, 2017, Charbonnet officially announced her candidacy for mayor before a large crowd of supporters who assembled in the Sheraton New Orleans ballroom.

During the October 14, 2017 jungle primary for mayor, Charbonnet placed second out of eighteen candidates earning 30.48% of the total votes cast to Council member LaToya Cantrell's 39%. As the top two vote getters, Charbonnet and Cantrell progressed to the runoff election (The runoff election is what other states would call "the general election".), which was scheduled to be held on November 18, 2017.

The runoff election for Mayor of New Orleans gained national attention. New Orleans, which was on the cusp of celebrating the city's tricentennial, would elect its first woman mayor.

On November 18, 2017, Cantrell was elected the first woman Mayor of New Orleans with 60.35% of the total votes cast to Charbonnet's 39.65%.

Political Endorsements She also attained the endorsement of the New Orleans Fire Fighters Association, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 632. Since 2014, she has worked closely with Women With a Vision and the Orleans Public Defenders Office to establish programs addressing the needs of those oppressed through prostitution, mental health issues and attempting re-entry into society.

Charbonnet has been the recipient of the United States Department of Justice Byrne grant and Racial Justice Improvement Project grant.

Mayoral runoff, November 18, 2017 Second ballot, November 18, 2017