January 12, 2026 | From City of New Orleans
Mayor Helena Moreno Delivers Inaugural Address Outlining New Direction for New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS — Mayor Helena Moreno addressed a full Saenger Theatre on Monday with her inaugural address prior to being sworn in as the city’s 63rd mayor. In a moving and forward-looking speech, Mayor Moreno outlined her vision for New Orleans, emphasizing urgency, accountability, and a commitment to lifting up every neighborhood.
The ceremony brought together civic, cultural, and business leaders reflecting the diverse fabric of New Orleans and marked the formal beginning of a new administration.
One of the most impactful moments of the address centered on the Mayor’s commitment to action and equity across the city:
“We will rebuild what is broken. We will fix what has been ignored. We will lift up every neighborhood, every family, and every dream because you have waited long enough.”
The full text of Mayor Moreno’s inaugural address is being made available for public distribution.
WHO:
Mayor Helena Moreno
WHAT:
Inaugural Speech
WHEN:
Monday, January 12th
WHERE:
Saenger Theater
1111 Canal St
New Orleans, LA 70112
Full Text of Mayor Moreno’s Inaugural Address
Thank you…
Today is a celebration of our city and the great people of New Orleans.
It represents not only a new beginning.
But more importantly…
A new direction.
A new direction for New Orleans.
I am honored to be standing here today.
But know this:
I do not stand here alone.
So let me begin by saying first and always:
To God be the glory.
None of this is possible without him.
And in the days ahead, I ask that we also remember:
Everything is possible with him.
New Orleans –
What has been written –
Is still true –
With God – Joy will come in the morning…even when the Saints lose.
Look, New Orleans is a spiritual city…and it is a living example of three great virtues: Faith. Hope. And Love.
Faith is not a hunch, a wish, or a gut feeling. It’s fundamental trust, a CONFIDENCE, that rises from deep within us.
And we must have real, deep, sincere faith on what New Orleans can be…because that type of faith calls us to action. It calls us to be “All in for New Orleans.”
And through our shared action of faith…comes the virtue of Hope.
Hope is much more than optimism. Hope is a commitment…a commitment that is so strong that it becomes an expectation … an expectation that what we desire to achieve, we will achieve. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
If we truly share faith in our city and hope for its bright future, we will be united in our third defining virtue: Love.
We are taught that love is the greatest of these virtues, because often it’s the most difficult to practice.
I know our love for New Orleans runs deep, and it expresses itself with boundless joy — in our music, our food, our art, our celebrations, and our compassion.
Our love is what empowers us to work through the challenges…our love for our neighborhoods, our way of life, and our culture is what enables us to rise and fight for our city.
So, I ask do you love New Orleans? Yes, we do…
Are you all in for New Orleans?
I want you to hear me…and I want to be very clear…I will lead our city with the confidence of faith, the commitment of hope, and a deep love for our beautiful city. I’m all in for New Orleans.
I stand here with all of you.
With all the people of this great city.
And together we will build the city that lives in our hearts and our dreams.
And make it a reality.
We know things are not where we want them to be today.
And we know it won’t be easy to fix them.
But just because things are hard.
Does not mean they are impossible.
We stand here at a turning point as we face challenging times.
And we must be clear: Failure is not an option.
Not anymore.
There’s too much at stake.
We can’t keep doing things the same and expect different results.
It is time for a new direction for New Orleans.
A new direction to realize the New Orleans that we all want…one that is rich with culture and opportunity!
So today, I make a promise to you to never quit, and my administration makes the same pledge, because we know that the possibilities for New Orleans are endless.
We will do the hard work.
We will make the hard decisions.
We will make this city more prosperous.
And we will give all our residents a chance at prosperity.
We are ALL IN.
Look…we have faced tough times before…we’ve faced more than 300 years of tough times.
We survived fires, floods, and epidemics.
We endured Jim Crow and injustice.
We overcame the tragedy of terrorism…
We rebuilt after hurricanes…
Every time…this city rose.
We rise because we know how special New Orleans is. This is not just a place, not just a city, but an amazing blend of beauty, history, and culture.
So now this is our time…to build that functional city we all deserve…together, we will build a New Orleans that is safe…where we can drive down the street without busting up the car…where there is no limit to realizing a dream and where our children have endless opportunities for success.
A New Orleans where seniors live not in fear or uncertainty, but in dignity and security.
A New Orleans that works for everyone.
I want you to envision that New Orleans, because as of today –
I am telling you -
We have the will.
And we will find the way.
It won’t happen overnight, but I’ll stop at nothing to get it done.
To accomplish this, we must do this together. Divided we fall.
Let’s face it…these are complicated and troubling times. Conflict and division are all around us. Some will continue to try to divide us, but we must choose to come together for our future.
Today, you’ve seen local, state, and federal leaders on all sides of politics come together to support the future of our exceptional city. We have more in common than what divides us when it comes to ensuring one of America’s greatest cities thrives.
In New Orleans…we embrace our diversity. Our culture, traditions, and neighborhoods…from Algiers to New Orleans East…are what make us so special.
We celebrate that New Orleans is a welcoming city, one that is open-hearted, honors its roots, and embraces others.
My own story is proof of that.
My family is a blend of cultures and traditions…a family built on faith, hope, and love…my mother, Nancy, is American, my father, Felix, is originally from Mexico. I was born more than a thousand miles from here in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
When I was in elementary school, my family moved to Texas, and twenty-five years ago, as a young journalist, New Orleans welcomed me with open arms. I fell in love with New Orleans and chose New Orleans as my forever home.
After Hurricane Katrina, when so many were forced to leave, I made a promise:
To fight for New Orleans.
That promise led me to my path in public service, starting with the Louisiana Legislature, then to the City Council, and now, by the will of the people… to this moment. Every step of this path was guided by faith, hope, and Love.
I know that as your mayor, I will be scrutinized and my success will be measured by outcomes…but let me be clear… the biggest outcome that matters to me is ensuring that you can always call New Orleans home, and for those who have moved away, to see that there’s now the opportunity to come on back.
I will make every single day count and look forward to working hand-in-hand with the City Council, with our federal and state legislators, and with the people of this city to ensure that government works…not for itself…but for you.
I ran for this job because I believe in what New Orleans can be. I thank my husband, Chris, and my family for being all in, as they, too, believe in a brighter future and are on this journey with me to make New Orleans a better place. Thank you, Chris…
God knows I am not a perfect person, and I don’t promise perfection.
But I do promise excellence and urgency.
And I will demand it from myself and everyone who serves this city.
We will take on the hard things because they matter.
We will rebuild what is broken.
We will fix what has been ignored.
We will lift up every neighborhood, every family, and every dream because you have waited long enough.
And make no mistake:
When we are All In,
there is nothing New Orleans can’t do. The sky is the limit.
Together, we will build the city our children deserve,
the city that you have earned,
and together we can move in a New Direction for our future!
And never forget that our strength, and, let’s call it what it is — OUR SUPER-POWER AS A CITY — is our shared faith, our shared hope, and our shared love. They bind us to one another and to this incredible place we call home.
With the confidence of faith, the commitment of hope, our shared love for our city and one another, I make this solemn promise to you:
I’M ALL IN FOR NEW ORLEANS!
ARE YOU WITH ME?
ARE. YOU. WITH ME?
Thank you, New Orleans, for being all in.
God bless you!
And God bless the city of New Orleans!
The inaugural address presented Mayor Moreno’s vision for her administration and set the tone for her leadership and governance in the years ahead.