District Overview

CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY MEMBER PROFILE
110th CONGRESS

Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.)
2nd District, East -- New Orleans

CQ Politics in America: District DescriptionLouisiana Second District map
(Updated: April 1, 2007)

New Orleans suffered catastrophic damage in late 2005, as rising waters propelled by the high winds and storm surge of Hurricane Katrina swept over and through the levees surrounding the below-sea-level city. As locals attempt to restore the infrastructure and character of the “Big Easy,” they face funding obstacles, rising crime rates, weak education and health sectors, and workforce and housing shortages.

Although the city’s population had already declined from its peak in 1960, some post-storm estimates put the new number at less than 200,000. Inexact methodologies and doubts over how many former residents will return have made tracking population and demographic changes tricky.

Floods covered the 9th Ward, Gentilly and other low-lying areas, which were left in shambles into 2007, but higher-ground areas like the French Quarter and Uptown escaped most of the water. The Superdome was heavily damaged and not fully repaired until more than a year later. Schools, hospitals and other services came to a halt immediately after the storm and many areas face protracted efforts to rebuild.

Famed for its food and jazz, the city was a popular tourist spot prior to the storm — Mardi Gras and the Jazz & Heritage Festival alone drew millions of visitors and billions of dollars. By 2007, 90 percent of area hotels had reopened, and local officials actively sought to lure visitors back to the once-humming city. Still, the loss of convention business hurt tourism across the board, from dining to shopping to taxi service.

The port, shipbuilding and petroleum sectors held steady after the storm despite losing some business to other Gulf cities. Northrop Grumman’s Avondale Shipyard provides jobs, and the port’s cargo and cruise facilities rebounded within a year. Money spent by cruise ship visitors docking at the port should benefit small businesses in the city.

Major Industry
Shipping, oil and gas, tourism, shipbuilding

Military Bases
Naval Support Activity New Orleans, 2,830 military, 1,809 civilian (2007)

Cities
New Orleans (pt.), 447,223; Marrero (unincorporated) (pt.), 35,796

Notable
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor (New Orleans) hosts a statue of the state’s patron saint, who hears prayers in times of disaster.