novelty for New Orleanians used to politicians who relied on political machines instead of courting public opinion. Morrison was endorsed by the city's newspapers, which aided his campaign by emphasizing the deficiencies of the Maestri administration in their articles. Meanwhile, Maestri made only perfunctory attempts at campaigning. He rarely made public appearances, instead sending representatives to events attended by the other candidates. Despite his image as a clean reformer, Morrison called for legalized gambling as a way to control vice, and he accepted campaign donations by underworld figure Henry Muller. Morrison was alleged to have attended an election-eve meeting with underworld leaders where he promised to allow prostitution and bookmaking to continue. Results Four minor candidates - Anthony Deckelmann, Mrs. Louis Dillon, John Golden, and Warren Johnson - received 1387 votes between them. No runoff was necessary. The 1946 election was the last time an incumbent mayor of New Orleans was defeated in the polls. Significance of the election The 1946 election saw the emergence of new groups of voters - most notably women, veterans, and members of a newly-professionalized civil service - who were not subject to the patronage of the Old Regulars and who thus operated outside the city's traditional machine politics. The Regular Democratic Organization continued to have political power into the 1950s and 1960s, but its monopoly over the city's politics was broken after Morrison's victory. Sources "Morrison beats Maestri: Mayor trails independent." The Times-Picayune, January 23, 1946 Haas, Edward F. DeLesseps S. Morrison and the Image of Reform: New Orleans Politics, 1946–1961. LSU Press, 1974. Mayoral elections in New Orleans New Orleans 1946 Louisiana elections