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District Office
Legislative Assistant : Claire Stockton
Email Neil C. Abramson
Phone: (504) 275-8051
Fax: (504) 568-3342
Address:365 Canal Street,
Suite 2740,
New Orleans, LA 70130
Map
Capitol House Switch Band: (225)342-6945
Capitol House Fax: (225)342-8336
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- District #: House District 1
- Party: Democrat
- Caucus Membership: Democratic Caucus
Orleans Delegation - Occupation: Attorney
- Education: Episcopal High School, Baton Rouge; Dartmouth College, B.A., Government; LSU Law School, J.D.
- Spouse: Kim
- Year Elected: 2007
- Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2016
- 2007 Election
Endorsed by several publications including the Times-Picayune, the Gambit Weekly and the Louisiana Weekly, Neil Abramson proved early in the primary that he was the lead candidate in the five-person field. He garnered 43 percent of the votes in the primary, which was more than double fellow Democrat James Johnson’s 20 percent. Abramson, an attorney, handily defeated Johnson, also an attorney, by a margin of 3 to 1 in the runoff.
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Registered Voters by Parish: Orleans 100.0%
Municipalities/Communities Represented: New Orleans
Economic: District 98 encompasses parts of Uptown, Broadmoor, Mid-City and Central City areas of New Orleans. The largest employers in the district are Xavier University, Memorial Hospital and many other medical centers, including some of the LSU Health Sciences Centers. This district does not contain a lot of industry, although prior to Hurricane Katrina there were efforts in progress to restore abandoned warehouses and facilities. Located in a more affluent area of the district along Magazine Street are posh specialty boutiques and the Whole Foods grocery store.
Hurricane Katrina flooded about 70 percent of this district and the winds caused structural damage. A good number of homes and businesses have been repaired, but about 50 percent remain unoccupied. Many residents have not returned home and out-migration continues to be a problem. The business community in District 98 was among the first in New Orleans to reopen, and it has become the primary source of sales tax revenue for the city.
Social: The district’s residents range across the socioeconomic spectrum from successful constituents living in mansions along St. Charles Avenue and the Mississippi River to poor ones residing in housing projects along Martin Luther King Avenue. This very diverse district also includes a large middle-class population.
Political: Solidly Democratic, this district is home to a few outspoken conservatives. However, with over 60 percent African American registered voters, this district is often counted as a minority voting block. Issues important to the constituency include crime and unemployment.
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- A partner with Phelps Dunbar LLP, Abramson replaces Cheryl Gray who vacated this seat to make a successful run for Senate District 5. Abramson attained a degree in government from Dartmouth College while playing football there, and he has government experience as a former clerk at the state Senate and in Congress. Actively involved in his community, Abramson is a board member for Junior Achievement, New Orleans Outreach and the Contemporary Arts Center.
- Legislative Outlook Criminal justice reform is Abramson’s top priority, and he vowed to fight for full repairs and improvements to New Orleans’ law enforcement facilities, including a high-tech crime lab. Furthermore, Abramson plans to reform the juvenile justice program to put more emphasis on rehabilitation and employment rather than incarceration. Second on his list of legislative priorities is to reduce insurance rates and provide a stable insurance market. Abramson will also devote plenty of his time to fostering economic development and speeding up recovery. He plans to do so by improving the public education system, improving vocational training programs and enacting strong ethic laws.
- Second on his list of legislative priorities is to reduce insurance rates and provide a stable insurance market. Abramson will also devote plenty of his time to fostering economic development and speeding up recovery. He plans to do so by improving the public education system, improving vocational training programs and enacting strong ethic laws.
- Abramson has become a leading voice in the House for greater accountability on the part of statewide officials. In the past, he has advocated for more detailed reporting of campaign donors who receive gubernatorial appointments. In the 2010 session, he also has legislation that would prohibit any lieutenant governor appointee who takes on an unexpired term of more than one year from being a candidate.
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