Renée Gill Pratt

Renée Gill Pratt (born 1954) is a local politician from New Orleans and a protégée of Democratic U.S. Representative William "Bill" Jefferson.

Political career

A Democrat, Pratt served as state representative for District 91 from 1991 to 2002 and as a New Orleans city council member for District B from 2002 to 2006.

District B includes the Central Business District, the Garden District, Central City, the Irish Channel, the Lower Garden District and the Touro neighborhood. District 91 covers the precincts located on the southwest side of District B, which roughly correspond to the Irish Channel and the Touro neighborhood.

Pratt lost her bid for re-election in 2006, against Stacy Head, another Democrat and a New Orleans attorney. She possibly faced a backlash related to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Mayor Ray Nagin won re-election only after facing a much tougher challenge than expected before the hurricane ,and half of the council members who ran again were defeated.

Controversies

In the weeks following her defeat, Pratt faced criticism for driving a $28,266 Dodge Durango that she had donated to a nonprofit organization before she left office. The organization subsequently hired her and assigned her to the vehicle.

She also was blamed for renting office space from a company formed by Mose Jefferson, the brother of U.S. Representative Bill Jefferson, at the rate of $1,800 a month, for her satellite council office.

Education

A life long resident of District B, Pratt attended Holy Ghost Elementary School, Xavier University Preparatory School, Dillard University and the University of New Orleans.

Election history

State Representative, 91st Representative District, Spring 1991

Threshold > 50%

First Ballot, March 23, 1991

Councilmember, District B, 1994

Threshold > 50%

First Ballot, February 5, 1994

State Representative, 91st Representative District, 1999

Threshold > 50%

First Ballot, October 23, 1999

Second Ballot, May 20, 2006

ources

City of New Orleans : http://www.cityofno.com/

Louisiana Secretary of State : http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/

New Orleans Gambit:http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2006-07-11/politics.php