NEW ORLEANS, LA — Councilmember Lesli Harris released the following statement following the council’s vote on a new election for the now consolidated Clerk of Court for Orleans Parish position, and the appointment of an interim Clerk of Court for Orleans Parish:

“Today, I could not support these resolutions, calling for a special election and naming an interim Clerk of Court. I voted no today because I do not believe the resolutions put before the Council today uphold the decisions of the voters of the City of New Orleans.

I - along with all of the members of this Council and the broader public - have been in opposition to the merger of the Clerks’ offices since the bill was filed in the legislature.

I believe that calling a special election today, while state and federal litigation on this very subject is pending, will contribute to the chaos, confusion, and ultimately voter disenfranchisement. These actions, in my opinion, will impact this Saturday’s election. In fact, the Council has almost two weeks before the special election would need to be called, in order to meet statutory requirements.

Let me be clear, I believe this action is playing into the hands of Baton Rouge. There are two Clerk of Court offices for Orleans Parish. While state legislation has attempted to combine them, Act 15 is still in active litigation; its validity is not yet settled. Yet the resolutions today assume there is now only one Clerk of Court position representing all of Orleans Parish.

By calling a special election we are both getting rid of a duly elected Black woman’s position prematurely and forcing two Black elected officials to run against each other. This comes in an environment where the state legislature is actively trying to eliminate up to 15 Black elected officials’ positions.”