Ray Nagin Bio
Clarence Ray Nagin Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former businessman and politician who served as the 60th Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, from May 2002 to May 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, he led the city through the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, drawing both international attention and sharp criticism for delays in evacuation and sheltering decisions. After leaving office, he founded a consulting firm and self-published a book about his experiences during the storm.
Before entering politics, Nagin built a career in the cable television industry, rising to executive roles at Cox Communications. In 2014, he was convicted on multiple federal charges including wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering, and was sentenced to ten years in federal prison. He was released to home confinement in April 2020 and completed his supervised release in March 2024.
Early Life and Background
Clarence Ray Nagin Jr. was born on June 11, 1956, at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, to a family of modest means. His father worked two jobs, first as a janitor at New Orleans City Hall and a fabric cutter at a clothing factory, and later as a fleet mechanic at a local dairy after the factory closed. His mother served as the manager of a Kmart in-store restaurant. The family lived on Allen Street in the 7th Ward, near St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Tremé, and later in the Cutoff section of Algiers.
Nagin attended St. Augustine High School and O. Perry Walker High School, where he played basketball and baseball. He went on to enroll at historically black Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama, on a baseball scholarship, played on championship teams, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in 1978. He later became a Certified Public Accountant and, in 1993, entered the executive MBA program at Tulane University, where he earned his graduate degree.
Path to US Politics
After graduating from college, Nagin worked in the purchasing department at General Motors in Detroit, Michigan. He later moved to Los Angeles, California, and then to Dallas, Texas, in 1981, where he took positions as an Internal Audit Manager and Division Controller with Associates Corporation. In 1982, he married Seletha Smith, a New Orleans native, and the couple went on to have three children.
In 1985, Nagin returned to New Orleans to become the controller of Cox New Orleans, the city’s cable television franchise. He was quickly promoted to general manager, and in 1989, he was appointed to oversee all Cox properties in south Louisiana as vice-president and general manager of Cox Louisiana. His public profile grew through civic work, including service on the boards of the United Way and Covenant House, and he was a founder and president of 100 Black Men of metro New Orleans. In 1995, he received the Young Leadership Council Diversity and Role Model Award and was named New Orleanian of the Year by Gambit Weekly.
Ray Nagin Career
Early Career (2002 Mayoral Election)
Nagin entered the race for mayor of New Orleans on the final day of qualifying, campaigning as a political newcomer with a business background. The New Orleans Times-Picayune and Gambit Weekly endorsed him shortly before the primary. In the first round of the February 2002 election, he placed first with about 29 percent of the vote, ahead of candidates including Police Chief Richard Pennington, State Senator Paulette Irons, and City Councilman Troy Carter.
In the runoff on March 2, 2002, Nagin defeated Richard Pennington with 59 percent of the vote to become the 60th mayor of New Orleans. His victory marked a shift into elected office after decades in the private sector and set the stage for his eventual focus on the city’s economic development.
First Mayoral Term Breakthrough (2002–2006)
During his first term, Nagin emphasized economic growth and infrastructure investment. The 2004 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, certified by KPMG, highlighted significant gains under his administration, including the addition of 4,500 jobs in a single year and about 38,000 New Orleanians rising out of poverty. Per capita income in New Orleans was rising at the fastest rate in the nation, according to The American City Business Journal, and the city enjoyed back-to-back record tourist years of 10.1 million visitors in 2004.
Nagin’s first term also brought a $260 million city bond issue in November 2004 and a surge in film production, earning New Orleans the nickname Hollywood South. He also demonstrated crisis management instincts when Hurricane Ivan threatened the Gulf in September 2004, urging residents to prepare and issuing a voluntary evacuation call that helped move an estimated 600,000 metro residents out of harm’s way.
Mayoral Leadership Era (2005–2010)
The defining moment of Nagin’s tenure came in August 2005 with Hurricane Katrina. After initially advising residents to prepare and promising that those who stayed would be cared for, Nagin issued the city’s first mandatory evacuation on Sunday, August 28, 2005, after receiving a late-night call from National Hurricane Center head Max Mayfield. Roughly 80 percent of residents and visitors evacuated before the storm, with the Superdome opened as a shelter of last resort.
After the storm, the federally built levees failed and 80 percent of the city flooded, leaving food and water scarce. Nagin publicly criticized the federal and state response on WWL radio in a passionate outburst that went viral. In his second term, beginning June 1, 2006, he faced intense criticism over a delayed 100-day rebuilding plan, rising violent crime, and slow federal reimbursement. He brought in recovery expert Dr. Ed Blakely, helped secure a $14 billion needs plan, and by the end of 2009 oversaw more than $20 billion in public and private construction projects. The U.S. Department of Labor reported in April 2010 that New Orleans had the lowest unemployment in the nation, and Nagin was appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to lead a U.S. delegation to a post-earthquake Haiti recovery conference in Martinique.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the most memorable moments of Nagin’s tenure was his January 16, 2006, Martin Luther King Jr. Day speech in which he used the phrase Chocolate City to reaffirm that New Orleans would remain a majority black city, a phrase inspired by the 1970s Parliament song. The comment drew national attention and criticism but also struck a chord with residents concerned about post-storm demographic change. He was also a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition co-chaired by Michael Bloomberg and Thomas Menino, and he helped guide a recovery plan for Haiti that drew billions in international pledges.
Ray Nagin Career Wins
Clarence Ray Nagin Jr.’s public-service record includes a clear electoral mandate, recognition for civic leadership, and a series of economic benchmarks during his two terms as mayor of New Orleans.
Mayoral Election Highlights
Nagin won his first race for mayor in March 2002, defeating Richard Pennington with 59 percent of the vote in the runoff to become the city’s 60th mayor. He was re-elected in 2006, winning the April 22 primary with 38 percent of the vote before defeating Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu 52 percent to 48 percent in the May 20 runoff. His first major civic honor was the 1995 Young Leadership Council Diversity and Role Model Award.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond elections, Nagin presided over measurable economic gains in New Orleans, including 4,500 new jobs in 2004, a record 10.1 million tourists in 2004, and a $260 million bond issue passed in November 2004. He was named New Orleanian of the Year by Gambit Weekly and helped New Orleans earn a place on Business Week’s list of best cities to ride out the great recession.
Ray Nagin Family
Family Background and Lineage
Clarence Ray Nagin Jr. grew up in a working-class New Orleans household. His father held two jobs to support the family, working as a janitor at New Orleans City Hall and as a fabric cutter before becoming a fleet mechanic at a local dairy, while his mother managed a Kmart in-store restaurant. The family moved between the 7th Ward, the Tremé neighborhood near St. Peter Claver Catholic Church, and the Cutoff section of Algiers during his childhood.
Personal Life
In 1982, Nagin married Seletha Smith, a New Orleans native. The couple had three children together. His personal and professional life later drew federal scrutiny, leading to his 2014 conviction on 20 of 21 corruption counts, including wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering related to city contracts. He was released to home confinement in April 2020 and completed his supervised release on March 16, 2024, marking the occasion with a quotation from Martin Luther King Jr.