Johnese Smith

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Johnese Smith

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 13, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

Tulane University, 2008

Personal

Birthplace

New Orleans, La.

Johnese Smith (Democratic Party) ran for election for Mayor of New Orleans in Louisiana. She lost in the primary on November 13, 2021.

Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Smith was a Democratic candidate for mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana. Smith was defeated in the primary election on October 14, 2017.

Biography

Johnese Smith was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She earned a bachelor's degree from Tulane University College in 2008. Smith has served as a member of the New Orleans Paralegal Association.

Elections

2021

See also: Mayoral election in New Orleans, Louisiana (2021)

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of New Orleans

The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of New Orleans on November 13, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		LaToya Cantrell (D)	64.7	48,750
		Vina Nguyen (R)	13.5	10,133
		Leilani Heno (No party preference)	8.8	6,605
		Belden Batiste (D)	5.1	3,863
		Joseph Amato (Independent)	1.7	1,256
		Eldon Anderson (D)	1.3	987
	Submit photo	Byron Cole (No party preference)	1.2	919
		Luke Fontana (D)	1.0	720
		Manny Chevrolet Bruno (No party preference)	0.8	578
		Johnese Smith (D)	0.7	553
		Matthew Hill (Independent)	0.7	535
		Nathaniel Jones (Independent)	0.3	231
		Douglas Bentley I (Independent)	0.2	163
	Submit photo	Reginald Merchant (No party preference)	0.0	32

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 75,325
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2017

See also: Municipal elections in New Orleans, Louisiana (2017)

The following candidates ran in the primary election for mayor of New Orleans.

Mayor of New Orleans, Primary Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	LaToya Cantrell	39.00%	32,025
	Democratic	Desiree Charbonnet	30.48%	25,028
	Democratic	Michael Bagneris	18.76%	15,405
	Democratic	Troy Henry	6.42%	5,270
	Democratic	Tommie Vassel	1.36%	1,120
	Independent	Hashim Walters	0.56%	462
	Democratic	Thomas Albert	0.56%	456
	Independent	Edward Bruski	0.55%	450
	Democratic	Frank Scurlock	0.47%	385
	No Party	Manny Chevrolet Bruno	0.32%	264
	No Party	Derrick O'Brien Martin	0.29%	238
	Independent	Patrick Van Hoorebeek	0.28%	232
	Democratic	Charles Anderson	0.28%	230
	No Party	Byron Cole	0.26%	212
	No Party	Matthew Hill	0.13%	108
	Democratic	Edward Collins Sr.	0.12%	96
	Democratic	Brandon Dorrington	0.11%	92
	Democratic	Johnese Smith	0.05%	38
Total Votes				82,111
Source: Louisiana Secretary of State, "Saturday, October 14, 2017," accessed October 14, 2017

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Johnese Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

"Naturally N'Awlins," as the late television and radio personality Frank J. Davis would say. I am a graduate of Tulane University College in Paralegal Studies. I have a passion to serve the communities of New Orleans in which my grandparents nurtured as a child. I was taught to honor your elders, respect your teachers, and do your best.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Taking Your Vote to the Next Level.
• WE PROMISE TO VOTE! TM
• Geaux Vote Girl!

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The areas of public policy, I am personally passionate about are: Social Policy, Entergy Policy, Environmental Policy, and Affordable Housing Policy.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to the women in my family (my aunts). They all exemplify womanhood.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

It has not been written of filmed.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The characteristics most important for an elected official is leadership.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am have served in the hospitality industry most of my life, it prepared me to be a great listener, and give the people what they requested. I do this very well, so I wont have any issues getting the resources that is necessary to building up the communities that makes up this beautiful city called "NOLA."

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities for an elected official are: educating children, building a strong economy, and keep the citizens safe.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I am a living legacy, right now. I don't have to wait to die to leave one.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Mark Essex, The Howard Johnson's sniper (1973). I was nine.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Color Purple, by Alex Walker. Why? Need I explain, why?

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

What this means to me is that an individual has become the chief executive officer to his or her city. He or she is now entrusted with the business affairs of the entire city and honoring those commitments promised during the campaign.

Mayors have many responsibilities, which vary from city to city. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your city?

The most important responsibilities for the City of New Orleans are: neutralizing violent crime, increasing the cost of living wages to $20.00 dollars an hour, affordable housing and child care for all working families, ethnic education and agricultural development programs for all children in the zero to five years of age: economic development that produces longevity in the workforce. It is important to accredited trade schools so they can provide technical skills in automotive, welding, coding, textile, and HVAC trades. It's most important to find partners that provides a healthier food sources for seniors. Finally, Hurricane Ida provided insightful information regarding the importance of requiring protocols for the home health care service providers. They should be considered first responders and follow specific guidelines when it comes to soft/hard mandatory evacuation.

If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there's a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor's top priority in office?

The mayor's top priority is neutralizing crime and stabilizing the economy.

If the mayor in your city is not a member of the city council and oversees the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor and city council?

The ideal relationship between the mayor and the council is partnership.

What do you love most about your city?

Everything except for the violent crimes committed.

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

The greatest challenges over the next decade is unforeseeable. Change is inevitable, so I will lead as mayor with an open mind.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the state government?

The ideal relationship between the city and state government is a partnership with respect.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the federal government?

The ideal relationship between the city and state government is a partnership with respect.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor's office and law enforcement?

The ideal relationship between the city and state government is a partnership with respect.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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