Rep. Leger, Walt III (D)
District# 91, New Orleans

• District # 91: House District 1
• Party: Democrat
• Caucus Membership: Democratic Caucus
  Orleans Delegation
• Occupation: Attorney
• Education: Jesuit High School, New Orleans; Louisiana State University, B.A., Political Science, 2000; Tulane University Law School, J.D., 2003; Certificate of Specialization in Admiralty & Maritime Law, 2003
• Spouse: Single
• Year Elected: 2007
• Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2020
• 2007 Election
After a crowded primary, former prosecutor Walter “Walt” Leger III emerged as the front runner, continuing on to defeat Judy Bajoie-Phillips in a run-off. Bajoie-Phillips is the sister of former Sen. Diana Bajoie. Leger replaces Rep. Jalila Jefferson-Bullock who chose not to run for re-election, instead attempting an unsuccessful bid at a state Senate seat.

• Louisiana Map
• District Map
• Metro Map
• Economic: The heart of uptown New Orleans fills out District 91’s borders, including the Garden District, the Irish Channel and Central City. The district serves as somewhat of a bedroom community for people commuting to jobs in the nearby downtown area. Those who stay within the district to work are usually employed at small businesses – such as restaurants or hotels – or in the maritime business located along the Mississippi River, the district’s back border.
• While much of the district lies on high ground and did not see major flooding, the poorer, northern most section of the district did receive significant flood damage due to levee breeches. Though the areas spared from the floods may have seen a slight increase in population, the predominantly African-American northern section has seen significant movement out of the district, leading to a considerable decrease in the number of residents in District 91.
• Social: The population of District 91 ranges from some of the wealthiest New Orleans residents to some of the poorest. The area is drawing in young professionals, many of whom are tackling the challenge of renovating some of the older, run down buildings.
• Political: While once solidly outnumbering white voters, black voters now hold only a slight edge in the district. The district, however, remains Democratic. There are several political organizations at work here including: the Progressive Democrats, BOLD and organized labor.

• Walt Leger is an attorney for Leger & Shaw and is a local community activist. He is a founding board member of Desire NOLA, a non-profit dedicated to supporting small business, as well as a board member for the St. Bernard Parish Red Cross. Leger works with a number of other community organizations and gained several endorsements during the race including The Times-Picayune and the Alliance for Good Government.
• Leger plans to be an active member of the Legislature, offering several unique solutions to problems plaguing post-Katrina New Orleans. Crime and ethics are his top priority. Leger hopes to increase funding and accountability for both the New Orleans police department and district attorney’s office. In addition, he supports strict penalties for witness intimidation and hopes to improve the juvenile justice system. Leger also aims at tightening ethics laws in state government, including full financial disclosure and strict penalties for ethics violations.
• As a member of the budget-drafting Appropriations Committee, he’ll play a central role in how the state approaches its forecasted shortfalls. He’s also an emerging voice on criminal justice issues and will be authoring legislation in 2010 removing convictions for possession of controlled dangerous substances as prior offenses for purposes of the habitual offender law and establishing a rate of deduction regarding costs of participating in work release programs.
• Economic development is also a priority for Leger who supports aid to small businesses and decreasing business taxes in order to increase entrepreneurship. Leger looks to a partnership between LSU and the VA hospital and the introduction of neighborhood clinics as an opportunity to improve access to healthcare.