An Open Letter to Newly Elected New Orleans Mayor — and to Every New Mayor Leading for the First Time
This election season brought new energy and new faces to city halls across America. In cities large and small, voters made history. New York City elected its first Muslim and South Asian mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Detroit chose Mary Sheffield, its first woman mayor. In St. Paul, Minnesota, Kaohly Vang Her became the first Hmong and first woman to hold that office. And, here in New Orleans, we made history as well, electing our first Hispanic and second woman mayor, Helena Moreno.
Each of these leaders represents an important milestone in the diversification of American leadership. Political leadership in American cities now includes more women, immigrants, and people of different faiths and various ethnicities. However diverse the leadership may be, they each inherit the same truth: leadership today is measured not just by policy, but by how deeply we invest in the health of our people.
In urban centers across the country, residents face public health issues that often correlate with their zip codes, as cities can experience higher pollution levels, larger populations, and less access to health-promoting habits, such as affordable fresh food and clean public spaces. Residents of our great American cities are counting on your leadership to guide policies that reflect a real investment in the things that bring health and wealth to the city.
To my newly elected Mayor Moreno,
Congratulations on your historic win as the first Hispanic and second woman to serve as mayor of our great city, which symbolizes the hope and possibility that so many of us in New Orleans carry for our city. But as you take office, we must also face the realities that threaten that hope every day — the ongoing public health challenges that shape life in every neighborhood.
In New Orleans, life expectancy can vary by more than 25 years from one ZIP code to another — a sobering reminder that where we live too often determines how long we live (Tulane University School of Medicine). Gun violence continues to claim lives and drain community resources, costing our city roughly $58,000 per victim in medical and social costs (Quantified Ventures). And too many families still struggle to access fresh food, safe housing, and mental-health care.
Mayor, these are not just policy issues — they are matters of public health and public trust. So as you begin your term, I urge you to center health equity in every department, every budget, every decision. Ask:
How will we make mental-health services as visible and accessible as law enforcement?
How will we connect housing, employment, and transportation policies to healthier daily lives?
How will we protect our environment — our air, water, and green spaces — as essential health infrastructure?
How will we keep residents informed and engaged in shaping solutions?
Leadership is not only about fixing what’s broken, but about building systems that keep people well — in body, mind, and community.
The eyes of the nation are on this new wave of mayors who represent so many “firsts.” But what matters most will not be who they are; it will be what they do to ensure that every resident — regardless of ZIP code, race, or income — has the opportunity to live a long, healthy life.
Mayor Moreno, we stand ready to work alongside you to make that vision real for New Orleans. Because in this city we love, public health is public power.
Respectfully,
Dr. Michelle Easton
Civic-Health Advocate & Community Strategist