Together with her theme of “all in for New Orleans,” Mayor Helena Moreno targeted on “religion, hope and love” in her inaugural remarks on Monday, January 12. “Look, New Orleans, as everyone knows, it’s a very non secular metropolis,” she mentioned, “and it’s a residing instance of three nice virtues, religion, hope and love.”

“Religion will not be a hunch, a want or only a intestine feeling. It’s elementary belief, a confidence that rises from deep inside us, and we will need to have actual, deep, honest religion on what New Orleans might be. As a result of that kind of religion calls us to motion. It calls us to be all in for New Orleans.”

(See under for a transcript of Moreno’s inaugural speech in its entirety.)

Kamala Harris
Introduction to Mayor Helen Moreno on January 12, 2026
Inauguration Day, New Orleans, Saenger Theatre

Good morning.

Oh, it’s so good to be with everybody. Please have a seat. Good morning. Good morning. It’s actually a pleasure to be again, and it’s a profound honor to swear in a really extraordinary chief. A pacesetter I do know effectively, a public servant I like, and an expensive pal, Helena Moreno.

So, Helena and I first crossed paths a few years in the past, and from the very starting, what stood out was not solely that she is proficient, however she is hard and has a shared love of our nation, and a shared perception that authorities should work for the individuals.

She is a devoted public servant who believes within the dignity of working households, she believes in equity, and within the easy but elementary precept that elected leaders should be accountable to the individuals they serve. Whether or not it’s her work in wards throughout the town and Metropolis Corridor, or the state capitol, by way of moments of problem and moments of change, it’s clear Helena Moreno won’t ever cease preventing for the individuals of New Orleans.

And as everybody right here is aware of, New Orleans is an American metropolis in contrast to every other, a metropolis that captures the tradition and braveness of America, a metropolis of creativity and resilience, a metropolis that has identified hardship and but has all the time chosen hope.

And boy, do I hate that I missed the second line downtown yesterday.. Severely, what different American metropolis has that? (Crowd: None.) There you might be.

So the way forward for America is being in-built cities like this and in leaders who honor the previous, meet the current second, and make investments sooner or later by leaders who imagine the ability belongs with the individuals. And that’s the form of management Helena Moreno brings to this second.

Helena, I do know you can be a mayor who will lead with integrity, with braveness, and with the individuals of New Orleans all the time on the heart of your work. Congratulations for every thing you might have achieved.
Congratulations, Helena Moreno.

Girls and gents, please welcome to the stage your subsequent mayor, Helena Moreno.

Helena Moreno’s first speech as mayor
January 12, 2026
Saenger Theatre

Wow, wow, wow, wow. I’m simply in awe looking into this crowd. I’m simply crammed with simply such a way of gratefulness and gratitude.

Let me begin by saying thanks to the Inauguration Committee, led by Mrs. Gayle Benson. Thanks a lot. What lovely occasions you set collectively. And actually lovely occasions, with my purpose in thoughts to be sure that everybody felt included and that we have been celebrating what our metropolis is about and celebrating our tradition and our music.

Thanks for, for the extent of time that it took to place all of this collectively. Mrs. Benson, Rico Alvendia, Sheila Burns, Jenny Heebe, Barry Kern, and Dottie Reese. I’ll always remember all that you simply did for this. Thanks.

To the New Orleans Metropolis Council. Congratulations. Congratulations. I’m so excited to get the chance to work with all of you all. And look, I feel we even acquired JP Morell in a few of his fanciest tennis sneakers as we speak. Trying good, JP. And to the previous mayors, Mayor Cantrell, Mayor Landrieu, Mayor Morial, Sidney Barthelemy – Mayor Barthelemy, thanks all to your service to the town of New Orleans and for being right here as we speak.

At this time is known as a nice celebration of our metropolis and the wonderful individuals of New Orleans. It represents not solely a brand new starting, however extra importantly a brand new course, a brand new course for New Orleans.

And I’m honored to be standing right here as we speak. But additionally know this, that I don’t stand right here alone. So let me start by saying: First and all the time to God be the glory. None of that is potential with out Him, however I need to say this: within the days forward, I ask that we additionally do not forget that every thing is feasible with Him.

New Orleans, what has been written continues to be true. With God, pleasure will come within the morning even when the Saints lose.

Look, New Orleans, as everyone knows, it’s a very non secular metropolis, and it’s a residing instance of three nice virtues, religion, hope and love.

Religion will not be a hunch, a want or only a intestine feeling. It’s elementary belief, a confidence that rises from deep inside us, and we will need to have actual, deep, honest religion on what New Orleans might be. As a result of that kind of religion calls us to motion. It calls us to be all in for New Orleans.

And thru our shared motion of religion comes a advantage of hope. Hope is rather more than optimism. Hope is a dedication that’s so sturdy that it turns into an expectation. An expectation that what we need to attain, we’ll obtain. When there’s a will, there’s a manner.

And we actually share religion in our metropolis. If we do, and if we actually have that hope for its vibrant future, we will probably be united in that third defining advantage: love.

We’re really taught that love is the best of those virtues, however it’s typically probably the most tough to truly apply. I do know our love for New Orleans runs deep and it expresses itself with boundless pleasure in our music, our meals, our artwork, our celebrations, and our compassion. Our love is what empowers us to work by way of the challenges. Our love of our neighborhoods, our lifestyle, and our tradition is what allows us to stand up and battle for our metropolis.

So I ask you as we speak, “Do you like New Orleans?” (Crowd: “Yeah.”) I wanna hear you. “Do you like New Orleans? (Crowd: Yeah.) How about this? “Are you all in for New Orleans?” (Crowd: louder: “Yeah.”)

And I would like you to listen to me, and I wanna be very clear about this. I’m going to guide the town of New Orleans with the boldness of religion, the dedication of hope, and the deep love for our lovely metropolis. I’m all in for New Orleans.

I stand right here with all of you, with the entire fantastic individuals of this wonderful metropolis, and collectively we’ll construct the town that lives in our hearts and in our goals, and we’re going to make it a actuality.

We all know that issues are usually not precisely the place we wish them to be as we speak, and we all know that it’s not going to be straightforward to repair these items, however simply because issues are arduous doesn’t imply that they’re unattainable. We stand right here on a turning level as we face difficult occasions, and we should be clear that failure will not be an possibility. Not anymore. There’s simply an excessive amount of at stake.

We will’t maintain doing issues the identical and anticipate a unique end result. It’s time for a brand new course for New Orleans, a brand new course to appreciate the New Orleans that all of us need. One that’s wealthy with tradition —  and likewise alternative.

So as we speak, I make a promise to you to by no means give up. And my administration makes the identical pledge as a result of we all know that the chances for New Orleans are infinite. We’ll do the arduous work, we’ll make the arduous choices, we’ll make the town extra affluent, and we’ll give all our residents an opportunity for prosperity–as a result of we’re all in.

Look backside line, we’ve confronted powerful occasions earlier than. We’ve confronted greater than 300 years of powerful occasions. We survived fires, floods, epidemics. We endured Jim Crow and injustice. We overcame the tragedy of terrorism. We rebuilt after hurricanes.

Each time this metropolis rose, and we rise as a result of we all know how particular New Orleans is. This isn’t only a place, not only a metropolis, however an incredible mix of magnificence, historical past, and tradition. So now that is our time. That is our time to construct that practical metropolis that all of us deserve.

Collectively, we’ll construct a New Orleans that’s secure, or we will drive down the road with out busting up the automobile. Mm-hmm, proper, yeah?. The place there is no such thing as a restrict to realizing a dream and the place our kids have infinite alternatives for achievement. A New Orleans the place our seniors dwell, not in concern or uncertainty, however in dignity and in safety.

We wish a New Orleans that works for everybody, and I would like you to ascertain that New Orleans. As a result of as of as we speak, I’m telling you now we have the desire and we’ll discover the way in which.

It’s not gonna occur in a single day, however I’ll cease at nothing to get it accomplished. To perform this, we should do that collectively. Divided we fall.

Let’s face it, these are difficult and troubling occasions. Battle and division are throughout us.

Some will proceed to attempt to divide us, however we should select to return collectively for our future. At this time you’ve seen native, state, and federal leaders on all sides of politics come collectively to assist the way forward for our distinctive metropolis.

We have now extra in widespread than what divides us. Thanks, Madam VP, for letting me borrow that line. Extra in widespread than what divides us relating to making certain that certainly one of America’s best cities thrives in New Orleans. We embrace our variety, our tradition, traditions, and neighborhoods.

From Algiers to New Orleans East Orleans, all of our neighborhoods are what make us so particular. We have a good time that New Orleans is a welcoming metropolis, one that’s open-hearted, honors its roots, and embraces others.

My very personal story is proof of that. My household is a mix of cultures and traditions, a household constructed on religion, hope and love. My mom, Nancy is American. My father Felix is initially from Mexico. And thanks mother and pa for all that you simply did for me, to get me to the place I’m as we speak.

I used to be born greater than a thousand miles from right here in a metropolis referred to as Xalapa within the state of Veracruz, within the nation of Mexico.

Once I was in elementary faculty, my household moved to Texas. And 25 years in the past, as a younger journalist, New Orleans welcomed me with open arms. I fell in love with New Orleans and selected New Orleans as my without end residence.

After Hurricane Katrina, when so many have been pressured to go away, I made a promise to battle for New Orleans. That promise led me to my path in public service, beginning with the Louisiana Legislature, then onto the Metropolis Council, and now by the desire of the individuals, to this very second.

Each step of this path was guided by religion, hope, and love.

I do know that as your mayor, I’ll definitely be scrutinized and my success will probably be measured by outcomes.

However let me be clear, the largest end result that issues to me is making certain which you can all the time name New Orleans residence. And for many who have moved away, to see that now could be the chance to return on again.

I’ll make each single day depend and I look ahead to working hand in hand with this New Orleans Metropolis Council, with our federal and state legislators, and with the individuals of the town to make sure that authorities works not for itself, however for you.

I ran for this job as a result of I imagine in what New Orleans might be. I need to thank my husband, Chris, and my household for being all in, as they too imagine.

They too imagine in a brighter future and are on this journey with me to make New Orleans a greater place. Thanks, my love. Thanks, Chris.

God definitely is aware of I’m not an ideal particular person and I don’t promise perfection. However I do promise excellence and urgency and I’ll demand it of myself and of everybody who serves this metropolis.

We’ll tackle the arduous issues as a result of they matter. We’ll rebuild what’s damaged. We’ll repair what has been ignored. We’ll carry up each neighborhood, each household, and each dream, since you waited lengthy sufficient.

And make no mistake, we’re all in. There may be nothing New Orleans can’t do. The sky is the restrict.

Collectively, we’ll construct the town our kids deserve, the town that you’ve got earned. And collectively, we will transfer in a brand new course for our future.

And always remember, always remember this, that our energy, and let’s even name it our superpower as a metropolis, is our shared religion, our shared hope and our shared love. They bind us to at least one one other and to this unimaginable place that we name residence. So with the boldness of religion, the dedication of hope, our shared love for our metropolis and each other, I make this solemn promise to you, I’m all in for New Orleans.

So are you with me? Are you all in? Are you all in?

New Orleans, I really like you. God bless the fantastic metropolis of New Orleans, the best metropolis on this nation. I’m simply saying. And I do know I’m proper on that one. God bless you. Thanks.

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