Will Sutton: New Orleans might have a new sheriff as challengers aim to topple Susan Hutson

BY WILL SUTTON | Staff columnist
Will Sutton

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Feb 18, 2025
Feb 18, 2025 Updated Oct 2, 2025
3 min to read

It's hard to beat an incumbent sheriff. But it's .

The campaign for this year will feature multiple candidates. Though some familiar names will be on the ballot, consider it a proxy battle among prominent political sponsors, including , and Voters Organized to Educate leader . Political strategist Ike Spears and former White House adviser Cedric Richmond and others are likely to weigh in, too — as they all measure their political bandwidths.

In the last sheriff's campaign, Carter endorsed longtime incumbent and Williams endorsed progressive challenger . Henderson went in hard for Hutson, likely pushing her over the top. Gusman nearly won outright in the primary. Falling short, he faced Hutson in a runoff — and Hutson rocked traditional political thinking and won overwhelmingly.

The campaign to succeed Mayor LaToya Cantrell will garner the most attention and attract some big money this fall, but watch the sheriff's race. Hutson announced a reelection bid Jan. 18. A prominent challenger made her official pitch Tuesday. Hutson's vanquished opponent is considering a comeback. A Carter ally is expected to make a run official after Mardi Gras.

New Orleans police interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork speaks during the mid-year news conference at the Police Department's Education and Training Academy on Friday, July 7, 2023.
STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER

Once a sheriff gets in office, it can be tough to get the sheriff out. Just in the last few decades, Orleans has had a 30-year sheriff, Charles Foti, and a 18-year sheriff, Gusman. Hutson has filled the balance of the last 50 years with a term that expires in 2026. She's asking voters to give her another four-year term to continue what she calls a more humane approach to jailing people and community-responsive leadership.

"Culture change takes a while," she told me. "We are not done. ... A full three terms would be good."

Not everyone sees it that way. So, Hutson has challengers and people seeking challengers.

Sheriff Marlin Gusman was photographed at the Orleans Justice Center on Aug. 13, 2021.
STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE

Williams hired as a consultant, serving as a liaison with the New Orleans Police Department, the agency where he served for 30 years, including four years as chief. He then led the Baltimore Police Department as chief. Some like the idea of Sheriff Harrison.

Nah, not interested, Harrison told them. He's been helping police departments in Memphis, Baton Rouge and Minneapolis, and other agencies. he told me.

Williams also hired former interim Police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork. After a three-decade NOPD career, she retired. She has been the DA's director of forensics and intelligence since the spring, and announced Tuesday niight that she's running for sheriff to provide "proven leadership" for an "agency that has lost its way." Woodfork's convinced that she can do better than Hutson, especially remembering her two years (1989-1991) as a sheriff's deputy in courtrooms, on jail tiers and serving subpoenas.

New Orleans Second City Court Constable Edwin Shorty agrees with Woodfork that OPSO can be better. He disagrees who can do better.

NO.officershooting.030221.417.jpg — Edwin Shorty from the 2nd City Court constables office, talks with the media at NOPD headquarters in New Orleans, Monday, March 1, 2021, about Martinus Mitchum who was killed while working a security detail at Carver high School Friday. (Staff photo by David Grunfeld, | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

In a recent interview, Shorty expressed disgust with Hutson's leadership. Like Woodfork, Shorty once worked as a sheriff's deputy, roughly from 1995-1999, while attending Southern University at New Orleans then the Southern University Law Center. As a business owner and a public official running an office responsible for Algiers evictions, he'd like to see remote bookings and more OPSO deputies backing up NOPD officers. He'd retire Hutson's use of the term "residents" for criminals who belong in jail.

Hutson points to significant improvements since taking over from a Gusman administration that refused to help with a transition. She said she and her team have given deputies raises, training and radios they should've had long ago.

But Gusman is considering a comeback, arguing that Hutson has been "abysmal." Look at her big promise to end the federal consent decree, he said. She hasn't. Hutson counters that she's made progress. She told me OPSO is on track to reach compliance as she addresses nine consent areas.

A serious sheriff's campaign operation needs at least $500,000 to compete. Hutson, Shorty and Woodfork have been raising money. In the last election, Hutson said she raised about $800,000. She'd like to have $1 million this time. Gusman left office, but he didn't shut down his campaign finance account.

Carter and Henderson and other behind-the-scenes players haven't announced sheriff's race endorsements. Williams made it clear Tuesday that he loves the idea of Sheriff Woodfork. I can't imagine Shorty running without Carter's support, Woodfork running without Williams' support or Hutson running without Henderson's support. Hutson, Woodfork and Gusman have high name recognition. Shorty's willing to self-finance to build name recognition and a campaign while raising money.