Somebody Has to Say It: Mayor-elect Moreno Crossed the Line

Mayor-elect Moreno’s premature Gallier Hall banner move was not a harmless misstep. It was the calculated continuation of disrespectful political posturing

There is ambition, and then there is audacity. What unfolded at Gallier Hall with Mayor-elect Helena Moreno placing mayoral signage a month before she is to take the oath of office was not a harmless oversight or a burst of excitement. It was a statement—and not a flattering one.

The inauguration is set for Jan. 12, 2026. There was and still is more than enough time in days closer to Jan. 12 for Mayor-elect Moreno to quickly and quietly set the stage for her inauguration. To attempt to take over Gallier Hall a nearly a full month before the event was inappropriate and insulting. 

Somebody has to say it: she was wrong. It was distasteful, disrespectful and disruptive.

By the way, hats off to Mayor LaToya Cantrell for standing her ground and ordering the removal of Moreno's so-called inauguration banners. In a political climate where disrespect has been excused and normalized, she chose to assert the dignity of the office she still holds. That is not ego. That is principle.

Gallier Hall is not a victory backdrop. It is a symbolic seat of executive municipal authority, and until the oath is administered, that authority still belongs—fully and unequivocally—to Mayor Cantrell. Anything short of respecting that reality is not enthusiasm; it is a breach of decorum and a willful disregard for civic norms.

Let’s be honest about something else, too. This is conduct that would never have been attempted with a Marc Morial or a Mitch Landrieu at the end of their tenures.. No one would have dared to blur lines or test boundaries while other mayors were still in office. That comparison matters because it strips away any pretense of innocence. What happened was neither bold leadership nor a political faux pas. It was petty, intentional and, frankly, reprehensible.

And since someone has to say it, we will. The moment also did not occur in isolation. For the past four years, Mayor Cantrell’s tenure has been marked not merely by policy disagreements—which are expected and healthy—but by a sustained effort to dismantle, disrupt, and delegitimize her authority specifically and Black leadership and political power in general. From performative confrontations to calculated obstruction, the pattern has been clear: weaken the office to weaken the mayor and diminish Black leadership. The Gallier Hall signage feels less like a mistake and more like a continuation of that same posture.

This editorial is not about whether one likes Mayor Cantrell. Personal feelings are irrelevant. Respect for the office is not optional. The Mayor's Office is larger than any individual, just as the City Council is larger than any single councilmember. When institutional norms are treated as inconveniences instead of guardrails, the damage extends beyond personalities—it erodes public trust.

The oath is not a technicality. It is the line between campaigning and governing. Cross it too early, and you reveal far more about your character and priorities than any campaign speech ever could.