Sen. Edwin Murray (D)
District# 4,

• District # 4: House District 0
• Party: Democrat
• Caucus Membership: --
• Occupation: Attorney, Murray, Darnell & Associates, L.L.C.
• Education: John F. Kennedy High School; B.A., Loyola University; J.D., Loyola University School of Law
• Spouse: Single
• Year Elected: 2005
• Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2016
• 2007 Election
  Endorsed by the Times-Picayune, Murray avoided runoffs both times he ran for the Senate by defeating two other candidates in each race. Clayton Joffrion, who has no party affiliation, ran against Democrat Murray in both of these elections. In the 2007 election, Republican Thomas J. Kennedy also challenged Murray. Murray defeated Kennedy and Joffrion by a margin of almost three to one.
  

• Louisiana Map
• District Map
• Metro Map
• Economic: Areas of District 4 suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina. The French Quarter is in this district, which did not flood, is a major source of revenue thanks drawing tourists from around the world. Neighborhoods near Lake Ponchartrain did experience flooding, and many of the residents have not yet rebuilt or returned to New Orleans. A huge economic factor in this district is the New Orleans Fair Grounds, a racetrack and home to the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival, which is the second largest tourist event in the city. Two other large tourist attractions are located just across Canal Street in District 5; they are Harrah’s Casino and the Aquarium of the Americas. Dillard University is located in this district, and residential neighborhoods and retail businesses make up the rest of the district.
• Social: The district has a ratio of almost three to one African American residents to others. A wide variety of social classes are prevalent in this district with the wealthy living in mansions, middle class living in modest homes and the poor living in housing projects.
• Political: The neighborhoods near Lake Ponchartrain are home to conservative Republicans, but all of the other areas of the district are overwhelmingly Democratic allowing Democrats to easily get elected. All residents, regardless of race, are concerned with crime.

• After serving twelve years as the state representative from District 96, Ed Murray ran for the Senate to replace Paulette Irons, who resigned to successfully run for a judgeship in New Orleans Civil District Court, at the end of 2004. Murray has made a name for himself as an effective and skilled legislative leader. Murray was the leader of the Black Caucus and the New Orleans Caucus in the House and has assumed the same roles in the Senate. A leader on tough issues, he had a hand in securing tax incentives for Louisiana’s only land-based casino – Harrah’s, keeping the Saints in Louisiana and getting the Hornets to move to New Orleans. An attorney, Murray has authored and passed numerous bills for worker’s compensation, making it easier for injured workers to collect benefits.
• Murray has placed an emphasis on community building in recent years by helping fund the Lakeview Crime Prevention District and the French Quarter-Marigny Historic Area Management District. He’s also taken a grassroots approach to providing access to health care, having sponsored legislation to underwrite insurance premiums for hurricane victims and pushed resolutions to study how physicians and other health care practitioners can be prevented from prescribing an alternative brand of medication just because of financial incentives. As a member of the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee, he will play a key role in the upcoming redistricting process, especially as New Orleans adjusts to major population changes.
• In his first full term in the Senate, Murray’s top three priorities are infrastructure, health care and education. Murray plans to continue pushing to restore the infrastructure through the use of the design-build concept. He will continue to advocate full funding to keep the LSU Medical Center in New Orleans and to rebuild Charity Hospital. With the goal of restoring the college and university programs, Murray will make sure that the state provides the resources to improve the kindergarten through twelfth grade public educational system. Murray also will focus on work force training and economic development.