Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu is weighing a run for president in 2028, a decision he says likely won't be finalized until after the midterms and possibly toward the end of this year. Landrieu, who led New Orleans from 2010 to 2018 and later served as a senior infrastructure adviser to President Joe Biden, has told people close to him that he's encouraged by supporters urging him to jump into the race.
According to WDSU, Landrieu confirmed his consideration in an interview with Politico, marking the clearest public sign yet that he's mulling a bid. The station's report notes that Landrieu is encouraged by the people pushing him to run, though it stops short of saying he has made up his mind. He previously drew similar speculation ahead of the 2020 race but ultimately never entered that contest, as reported by WREG.
A Mayoral Record Built on Fixing a Budget Crisis
Landrieu's two terms as mayor left him with a reputation as a turnaround operator. His accomplishments include rebuilding public works, eliminating a nearly $100 million city budget deficit and reforming a scandal-plagued police department, per the same WDSU account of his time leading New Orleans. He won landslide mayoral victories in 2010 and 2014, according to WREG, before leaving office in 2018 after being term-limited.
The budget fix wasn't painless. Landrieu enacted 11 days of furloughs on city workers and a hiring freeze across all departments, according to NOLA.com, as his administration worked to close the shortfall it inherited. Landrieu also removed four Confederate monuments in New Orleans during his tenure, a move documented by the Louisiana Illuminator.
From City Hall to the Biden White House
Before becoming mayor, Landrieu served two terms as Louisiana lieutenant governor and spent 16 years in the state legislature, the Illuminator reports. After leaving City Hall, he was named a senior adviser by President Biden, tasked with implementing the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, overseeing efforts to expand broadband, invest in climate-resistant infrastructure and repair roads and bridges nationwide.
That infrastructure role was expected to renew talk of Landrieu's own presidential ambitions, WREG noted at the time, given his prior mention as a possible 2020 Democratic contender. Now, with a new round of speculation swirling, Landrieu finds himself back in a familiar spot: a well-known Democrat whose next move is being watched closely.
A Crowded Field Taking Shape for 2028
Landrieu's deliberations come as Democrats more broadly are beginning to position themselves for the 2028 presidential contest, according to The Washington Post, with the primaries now just 16 months away. The Post reports that former Vice President Kamala Harris, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Ro Khanna of California are among the many Democrats already being eyed as potential candidates.
Whether Landrieu ultimately joins that field remains unresolved. His own timeline, as described in the WDSU report, points to a decision no earlier than after the midterms and possibly not until late this year, leaving New Orleans and national Democrats alike watching for his next move.
