Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson (born 1935) is the current president of the New Orleans City Council and a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Clarkson is also the mother of American actress Patricia Clarkson.[1]
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Clarkson represented District C on the New Orleans City Council from 1990 to 1994 and from 2002 to 2006, as well as District 102 at the Louisiana House of Representatives.[2] The boundaries of District 102 are roughly the same as the Algiers neighborhood (also known as the Fifteenth Ward) in New Orleans. Those of District C include Algiers, as well as the Vieux Carré or French Quarter neighborhood.
During her second tenure on the council, Clarkson advocated a cleaner and safer French Quarter and attempted to restore the Jackson Square Artists Colony, established by the Constitution of the 1920s. A number of her constituents were enthusiastic about her efforts, whereas others, especially street performers and tarot readers, were rather apprehensive. Others were alarmed of her proposal to eliminate public space in the name of safety.
Clarkson ran for Councilmember at Large in 2006, but she lost in the general election, often called the runoff in Louisiana, against Arnie Fielkow, another Democrat and former Executive Vice President of the National Football League's New Orleans Saints. Mayor Ray Nagin won re-election only after facing a much tougher challenge than expected before the hurricane, and half of the council members who ran again were defeated.
The resignation of Councilmember at Large Oliver Thomas in 2007 over bribery charges enabled Clarkson to return on New Orleans City Council. She was elected to her first term as Councilmember-at-Large in a special election in November 2007, defeating Cynthia Willard-Lewis.[3]
Clarkson in 2008 and 2009 became particularly outspoken in defending likeminded councilwoman Stacy Head in a feud with city sanitation director Veronica White. Clarkson called for White's dismissal, but Nagin defended White.[4]
Clarkson was re-elected as Councilmember at Large in February 2010 (again narrowly defeating Cynthia Willard-Lewis)[5], and was named president of the council in May 2011.[6]
Although a lifelong Democrat, Clarkson has been able to boast support from Republican organizations including the Parish Executive Committee of the Orleans Parish Republican Party.[7] In 2008 she broke party ranks and supported Republican challenger Anh "Joseph" Cao in his longshot but successful bid to unseat Democratic incumbent William J. Jefferson from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district seat.[8] Likeminded fellow Democratic Councilwoman Stacy Head found herself soon facing a recall petition. Clarkson, however, was not subjected to a recall effort; as councilwoman-at-large she represents a broader constituency, and she is more ingrained into the New Orleans political scene.[9] In May 2009, as the New Orleans e-mail controversies intensified, Clarkson began publishing thousands of her e-mail messages online:
Councilmember, District C, 1994
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, February 5, 1994
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Troy Carter | Democratic | 13,355 (50%) | Elected |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 13,331 (50%) | Defeated |
State Representative, 102nd Representative District, 1994
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 1, 1994
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 4,018 (49%) | Runoff |
| Yvonne Mitchell-Grubb | Democratic | 2,504 (31%) | Runoff |
| Others | n.a. | 1,667 (20%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 8, 1994
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 4,965 (55%) | Elected |
| Yvonne Mitchell-Grubb | Democratic | 3,984 (45%) | Defeated |
State Representative, 102nd Representative District, 1995
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 21, 1995
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 4,691 (45%) | Runoff |
| Ron Guidry | Democratic | 3,952 (38%) | Runoff |
| Others | n.a. | 1,685 (17%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 18, 1995
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 6,040 (51%) | Elected |
| Ron Guidry | Democratic | 5,829 (49%) | Defeated |
State Representative, 102nd Representative District, 1999
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 23, 1999
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 5,520 (62%) | Elected |
| Kenneth Garrett | Democratic | 1,453 (16%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 1,888 (22%) | Defeated |
Councilmember, District C, 2002
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, February 2, 2002
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 11,961 (53%) | Elected |
| Catherine Smith | Democratic | 3,783 (17%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 7,013 (30%) | Defeated |
Councilmember(s) at Large (2), 2006
Threshold > 25%
First Ballot, April 22, 2006
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Oliver Thomas | Democratic | 66,374 (39%) | Elected |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 36,839 (22%) | Runoff |
| Arnie Fielkow | Democratic | 31,092 (18%) | Runoff |
| Others | n.a. | 35,060 (21%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, May 20, 2006
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Arnie Fielkow | Democratic | 61,420 (56%) | Elected |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 47,324 (44%) | Defeated |
Councilmember at Large, 2007
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 20, 2007
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Cynthia Willard-Lewis | Democratic | 20,623 (28%) | Runoff |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 15,766 (21%) | Runoff |
| Virginia Boulet | Democratic | 14,620 (20%) | Defeated |
| Diana Bajoie | Democratic | 7,816 (11%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 14,802 (20%) | Defeated |
First Ballot, November 17, 2007
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Jackie Clarkson | Democratic | 27,740 (53%) | Elected |
| Cynthia Willard-Lewis | Democratic | 24,874 (47%) | Defeated |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mike Early (D) |
Councilmember, District C 1990–1994 |
Succeeded by Troy Carter (D) |
| Preceded by Troy Carter (D) |
State Representative, 102nd Representative District 1994–2002 |
Succeeded by Jeff Arnold (D) |
| Preceded by Troy Carter (D) |
Councilmember, District C 2002–2006 |
Succeeded by James Carter (D) |
| Preceded by Michael C. Darnell (D) Interim |
Councilmember at Large 2007–Current |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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