(Black) Mayoral candidates frustrated in quest for endorsements
by Cindy Chang - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

State Sen. Ed Murray, the leading African-American candidate for mayor before he withdrew from the race early last month, appeared to be the front-runner to win the backing of much of the city's black political establishment. Mayor Ray Nagin has not made an endorsement in the race to succeed him.With Murray gone, management consultant Troy Henry, fair-housing advocate James Perry and former Civil Court Judge Nadine Ramsey have scrambled to win the endorsement of African-American publications and political groups long known for their ability to get out the vote. It appears they've struck out. Of the city's three most prominent African-American political organizations, COUP, led by Constable Lambert Boissiere Jr., and LIFE, headed by allies of former Mayor Marc Morial, have thrown their support to Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu. BOLD, the group whose leaders include state Rep. Karen Carter Peterson and former City Councilman Jim Singleton, is staying out of the mayor's race. Mayor Ray Nagin, who in recent days has urged black voters to get to the polls on Saturday, never made an endorsement in the race, though it's unclear what effect his 20 percent approval rating would have had on his chosen candidate. Meanwhile, the city's oldest black newspaper. The Louisiana Weekly, gave its nod to Landrieu, while businessman John Georges won the backing of The New Orleans Tribune and Data News Weekly.