Mayor Nagin in Chicago

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was in Chicago this week to attend a fundraiser which netted $500,000 for his reelection campaign. There is a run-off election later this month between Nagin and Sen. Mary Landrieu's brother Mitch who is Louisiana's Lt. Governor. (sounds kind of familiar to us Illinoisians)

Nagin emphasized rebuilding efforts and the recent Jazz Festival, and was trolling for votes here. Sun Times:

Nagin said he was in town to remind the estimated 7,000 New Orleans residents who relocated to Chicago after Katrina to vote in the May 20 election; they can do so by fax or absentee ballot.

And he was here to listen to what voters had to say about the rebuilding efforts.

"They want to see a city that is updated and upgraded [better than] before Katrina," Nagin said. "They want to see a safer city. They'd like to see some of the neighborhoods come back much stronger."

The Katrina recovery is continuing as a much smaller New Orleans faces a new hurricane season.