took a negative turn when ads appeared attacking Nagin's credentials as a member of the Democratic party, and when Pennington professed to have information about Nagin that 'sickened him to the core', without specifying its nature. Results Mayoral Primary, February 2 The most prominent feature of the primary results was a dramatic surge in Nagin's support; going into the primary, Pennington was widely predicted to finish first. Precinct-by-precinct returns prompted political analysts to attribute Nagin's first-place finish in the primary to a high turnout by white voters who disproportionately preferred Nagin to his main opponent, Pennington. Nagin also saw support in higher-income black neighborhoods. Pennington found his main base of support in predominantly African-American neighborhoods, winning 217 black-majority precincts to Nagin's 46. The primary results were also seen as a rejection of New Orleans politics-as-usual; both the runoff candidates were political newcomers despite the candidacies of several prominent politicians. Runoff, March 2 In the runoff, Nagin kept the base he had established in the primary, but expanded his support to win every majority-white precinct. Pennington maintained his base among lower and middle-class black voters, but was unable to pick up the support of many voters who had supported candidates defeated in the primary. Ray Nagin's runoff victory sent him to city hall, where he has served as New Orleans's mayor since May 2002. Sources 2002 New Orleans 2002 Louisiana elections