Cynthia Hedge-Morrell
Cynthia Hedge-Morrell (born September 4, 1947)[1] is an American teacher, a former school administrator and a Democratic politician from New Orleans.
Education
Hedge-Morrell holds a Bachelor of Administration in elementary education from the University of New Orleans and a master of science from Loyola University New Orleans.
Political Career
She has served as Councilmember representing New Orleans District D since 2005. District D includes some the neighborhoods that were the most seriously damaged by the levee failures of 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. District D covers the Gentilly Area and parts of New Orleans' Upper Ninth Ward.
Hedge-Morrell was re-elected, with a reduced majority, in 2006. A number of her colleagues faced disgruntlement related to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Mayor C. Ray Nagin won re-election only after facing a much tougher challenge than expected before the hurricane and half of the members who wished to stay were not back on the City Council.
In 2007, Hedge-Morrell faced a political scandal when she was pulled over by Louisiana State Police for going 100 mph on Interstate 10, where she then yelled at the state trooper "Do you know who I am? . . . What the hell are you stopping me for?"[2] She later apologized for the incident. [3]
In 2014, Hedge-Morrell ran for the Division 2 at-large seat on the New Orleans City Council.[4]
Personal life
Since 1966 Hedge-Morrell has been married to Arthur Morrell, who has served as a Representativet for District 97 at the Louisiana State Legislature since 1984, before being elected Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal Court in 2006. District 97 roughly covers the same area as District D. Hedge-Morrell and her spouse were among the participants in movie director Spike Lee's documentary When The Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts.
Election History
Councilmember, District D, 2005 Threshold > 50% First Ballot, April 2, 2005
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Cynthia Hedge-Morrell | Democratic | 4,959 (84%) | Elected |
| Eustis Guillemet | Republican | 912 (16%) | Defeated |
Councilmember, District D, 2006 Threshold > 50% First Ballot, April 22, 2006
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Cynthia Hedge-Morrell | Democratic | 10,889 (56%) | Elected |
| Louella Givens | Democratic | 4,194 (22%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 4,319 (22%) | Defeated |
Notes
- ↑ U.S. Public Records Index Vol 1 & 2 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
- ↑ Times-Picayune archive. "Cop: Morrell racing down I-10". NOLA.com. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ↑ Times-Picayune archive. "Hedge-Morrell apologizes for speeding". NOLA.com. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ↑ Jaquetta White. "Experience major factor in race for Division 2 seat". theadvocate.com. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
Sources
- City of New Orleans website
- Louisiana Secretary of State website
- Hedge-Morrell's re-election website
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by David Payton (D) |
Councilmember, District D 2005–2010 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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