2 attorneys are in a runoff to represent New Orleans East in the state House

New Orleans East voters are headed back to the polls this month to settle a race between two attorneys hoping to represent the city's interests in the Legislature.

Political newcomers Dana Henry, 52, and Kenya Rounds, 51, are in a runoff to fill the District 100 seat after neither got more than 50% of the vote in the February primary election. From the five-candidate field, Rounds gained 33% of the vote, and Dana Henry gained 30%.

The seat became vacant after former state Rep. Jason Hughes joined the City Council. The newly elected member of New Orleans' Democratic delegation will join lawmakers for the three-month legislative session that begins March 9.

The election is March 14. Early voting began Feb. 28 and runs through Saturday.

Henry

Henry tossed his hat in the ring to address issues that he says still persist in his district — notably, a lack of economic development, crippling homeowners' insurance costs and quality of life concerns.

"It's putting fear and stress into families that quite honestly don't deserve it," he said.

Henry said many residents in his district are using credit cards to pay homeowners' insurance. And elderly individuals have dipped into their savings to cover premiums that haven't gone down despite the state-funded fortified roof program that has been aimed at bringing relief.

If elected, Henry said he'd support bills such as Senate Bill 355 by Sen. Royce Duplessis, which would require insurers to provide a minimum 20% discount to fortified roof program participants.

Henry sits on the board of the City Park Conservancy and Second Harvest Food Bank. Former Mayor LaToya Cantrell, in 2021, also appointed him chair of the New Orleans Public Library Board. The appointment drew controversy from critics who were opposed to his support for a ballot measure that would have cut the library's budget by 40%, The Lens reported.

Hughes recently gave Henry his endorsement in a video posted to social media, where he said Henry would be a strong fighter in Baton Rouge who'd help finish the job in driving down high insurance costs.

Henry also has the endorsement of at-large council member Matthew Willard, a former state representative whose seat was filled by Ed T. Murray in the Feb. 7 primary.

Other endorsements include Alliance for Good Government, Forum for Equality and the New Orleans Tribune.

The latest campaign finance reports show that Henry loaned his campaign $25,000 and had $50,749 on hand at the close of the reporting period ending Feb. 22.

Rounds

Rounds, 51, is a trial attorney specializing in civil and criminal litigation. He has said his experience working with people, holding others accountable and fixing client crises makes him the best candidate for the legislative seat.

He joined the race to help rebuild and reinvest in a district that's seen little progress since Hurricane Katrina, he has said.

Rounds did not return recent requests for an interview, but in January, he said his district is ripe with opportunities that can contribute to sustainable growth with adequate investment from the city and state, such as the Bayou Phoenix Six Flags project.

"I think we have to show that New Orleans East is open and that businesses have opportunities to flourish here," he then said.

Rounds said he would fight for critical services that impact the community as a whole, such as adequate teacher pay, health care and Medicaid coverage and public safety.

Addressing the city's rampant blight issues that have proliferated in the East, Rounds would focus on returning blighted properties to commerce, rather than tearing them down and leaving an open space.

Rounds' law firm, the Law Offices of Kenya Rounds, has an open case in Orleans Parish Civil District Court for nearly $6,000 in unpaid property taxes dating back to 2022, court documents show. He has not filed a response in court and did not respond to questions about the tax bill.

Endorsements include the Orleans Parish Executive Democratic Committee, of which he is a member, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

The latest campaign finance reports show that Rounds loaned his campaign $17,500 and had $51,417 on hand at the close of the reporting period.