Joseph Amato

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Joseph Amato

Independent

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 13, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

University of New Orleans, 2007

Personal

Birthplace

Metairie, La.

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Joseph Amato (independent) ran for election for Mayor of New Orleans in Louisiana. He lost in the primary on November 13, 2021.

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

Biography

Joseph Amato was born in Metairie, Louisiana. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of New Orleans in 2007. His professional experience includes owning the business Vieux Carre CBD.

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

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 75,325
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Candidate profile

Joseph Amato

Party: Independent

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I'm a fourth generation New Orleanian who has traveled the world to learn what it takes to be among the best cities on Earth. An entrepreneur, a property manager, an activist, and a lover of everything that makes New Orleans special, I know our city well and I believe in it's potential. I studied Political Science and Sociology at the University of New Orleans, volunteered during Katrina and Ida, marched against BP during the massive oil spill, and been an active member of the Krewe of Motha Roux Free Thinkers Society. I've been passionate about politics for as long as I can remember and feel like the best way to make change is to get involved and be a part of the process. New Orleans is at a pivotal point in its history and I hope by running for Mayor I will be able to help steer us in the right direction."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Create an street repair efficiency board to streamline the process and search for better ways to rapidly and permanently fix the streets.

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Enact a plan to build out more solar power capacity throughout the city and bury as many power lines as possible

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Fight for a minimum wage increase for both non-tipped and tipped positions

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Mayor of New Orleans in 2021.

Campaign themes

2021

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released September 17, 2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Joseph Amato completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Amato'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.

I'm a fourth generation New Orleanian who has traveled the world to learn what it takes to be among the best cities on Earth. An entrepreneur, a property manager, an activist, and a lover of everything that makes New Orleans special, I know our city well and I believe in it's potential. I studied Political Science and Sociology at the University of New Orleans, volunteered during Katrina and Ida, marched against BP during the massive oil spill, and been an active member of the Krewe of Motha Roux Free Thinkers Society. I've been passionate about politics for as long as I can remember and feel like the best way to make change is to get involved and be a part of the process. New Orleans is at a pivotal point in its history and I hope by running for Mayor I will be able to help steer us in the right direction.

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?

• Create an street repair efficiency board to streamline the process and search for better ways to rapidly and permanently fix the streets.
• Enact a plan to build out more solar power capacity throughout the city and bury as many power lines as possible
• Fight for a minimum wage increase for both non-tipped and tipped positions

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I'm passionate about bringing our city up to date with the rest of the country and the world in the entire spectrum of policies. We need to future proof our city with technological advancements across the board, have more cooperation across government to improve efficiency, and rethink our approach to public safety.

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

Bernie Sanders is a political icon that I look up to and the person who reignited my belief that positive change can be affected through the power of persuasion and persistence. He showed me that a campaign built on optimism, forward thinking and compassion is capable of steering the national conversation in a positive way. It was refreshing and inspiring to hear his message and I felt like I wanted to bring a similar light to New Orleans race for mayor. Whether you agree with his politics or not almost everyone recognized and respected his honesty, his forthrightness and his genuine character.

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

A mayor needs to be charismatic, thorough and open to compromise. They are the face of a city and need to keep their cool in all situations so that the residents feel like everything is under control.

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

A passion for making the world a better place

What legacy would you like to leave?

A city that is optimistic about it's future.

What is your favorite book? Why?

A Confederacy of Dunces. It's a hilarious tale about an eccentric New Orleans character that all locals recognize. I love how it weaves the everyday melange of New Orleans atmosphere with esoteric themes and sharp social commentary.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Yakety Yak

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

It means the mayor is the key decision maker who must direct the entire city government in nearly all aspects. A cities successes and failures will invariable fall on the mayor's shoulders and they must consider all angles with every decision they make.

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

Most importantly a mayor must appoint competent department heads and fill city hall with the most capable people possible because they will be the ones making many of the day to day decisions.

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?

It's best to have a cooperative relationship between the mayor and the city council so that issues are resolved quickly. There will always be disagreements but it's important to never let personal squabbles interfere with the needs of the city.

What do you love most about your city?

New Orleans has the richest culture in America and it's not even close. We exist in a world of revelry that places vast importance on enjoying the pleasures of life. Everything we do is unique to our culture and we celebrate it everyday.

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

Our greatest challenge will be to get our government organized in such a way that it will be able to respond to the many challenges it faces efficiently and effectively.

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

It must be a symbiotic relationship were each builds off of the other. New Orleans holds a lot of sway in Louisiana by population and by cultural influence and it must be willing to compromise and find common ground with the other parishes so that the state as a whole can flourish and thrive.

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

New Orleans cultural influence goes far beyond the borders of Louisiana and in fact has globally recognized appeal. The federal government should recognize our far reaching magnetism and be willing to assist in every way necessary. We also should be able to take care of ourselves as much as possible and give back to the nation as a whole as often as we can.

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

This relationship is extremely important for the safety of our citizens and for anyone who visits us. We need the mayor and police to work in perfect harmony, constantly finding new and better ways to protect the community.

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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Candidate

Mayor of New Orleans

Website