September 26, 2025
WWL-TV
The UNO poll of New Orleans voters, completed September 24, sheds new light on the contests for the City Council’s two at-large seats. In Division 1, state Representative Matt Willard has built a significant lead over his two opponents, getting 32% of the vote to fellow state Rep Delisha Boyd’s 18% and Matthew Hill’s 5%. Besides Willard’s big lead, the UNO poll shows a major difference among undecided voters: 61% of White voters were undecided, compared to only 30% of Black voters. That’s a lot of voters still up for grabs.
September 30, 2025
NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune
In the race for City Council-at-large, Division 1, state Rep. Matthew Willard earned 32% support, while state Rep. Delisha Boyd earned 18% and Matthew Hill received 5%. Nearly half of voters remain undecided in that contest.
September 26, 2025
Gambit New Orleans
Gambit wanted to learn more from mayoral and city council candidates about their policy ideas impacting New Orleans artists, musicians and culture bearers. We sent out a brief questionnaire and below are submitted responses from city council candidates in the at-large division 1 race. Responses are presented as submitted and listed alphabetically by last name.
September 26, 2025
NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune
New Orleans voters will go to the polls Oct. 11, with early voting beginning Saturday, to elect a slate of municipal officials. Here are the Times-Picayune’s recommendations for the two City Council at-large seats. Division 1: Matthew Willard The seat being vacated by mayoral candidate Helena Moreno has drawn two experienced state lawmakers.
September 26, 2025
Gambit New Orleans
Throughout our paper’s history, our endorsements have been based not on party affiliation, popularity or inevitability. Rather, we have selected candidates who we believe will best serve the basic principles of equity, progress, accountability and justice. This year our editorial board has decided to endorse in citywide elections, and only in those instances with a clear leader the people of New Orleans can believe in.
September 25, 2025
Gambit New Orleans
In the Division 1 race to fill the seat vacated by mayoral candidate Helena Moreno, voters will be picking which Democratic state representative they want to take her place: Rep. Delisha Boyd or Rep. Matthew Willard. There is a third candidate: Republican Matt Hill, an operations manager at the New Orleans’ Dave & Buster’s location, who had raised a nominal sum of $400, not including a personal loan he made to his campaign, in the race a month out from the election.
September 23, 2025
Verite News
“If you go back the last three years, the storms have been pretty serious. Quickly intensifying, shifting direction, and lasting longer,” said Louisiana Rep. Matt Willard (D-New Orleans), who authored the resolution. “So we really do need to take our contraflow processes and evacuation processes seriously and start looking at what they look like over the next decade.”
September 22, 2025
The Louisiana Weekly
Less than a third of those eligible to cast a ballot for mayor of New Orleans four years ago bothered to vote. That exemplifies a degree of apathy which betrays the sacrifices our immediate ancestors made to win the right to the franchise.
August 25, 2025
WDSU
Three candidates are seeking an open seat on the New Orleans City Council. It’s the at-large, Division 1 seat covering the entire city. Advertisement It’s currently held by Helena Moreno, who is running for mayor. Republican Matthew Hill and two Democrats, State Representatives Delisha Boyd and Matthew Willard are also running.
August 2025
BGR
Three candidates are seeking an open seat on the New Orleans City Council. It’s the at-large, Division 1 seat covering the entire city. Advertisement It’s currently held by Helena Moreno, who is running for mayor. Republican Matthew Hill and two Democrats, State Representatives Delisha Boyd and Matthew Willard are also running.
August 7, 2025
Verite News
This fall, New Orleanians will get to cast three votes for the New Orleans City Council: one for who will represent their specific council district and two for at-large seats. These at-large seats represent the full city, and the two at-large members serve as president and vice president of the council once they take office.
August 1, 2025
Gambit
This fall, New Orleanians will get to cast three votes for the New Orleans City Council: one for who will represent their specific council district and two for at-large seats. These at-large seats represent the full city, and the two at-large members serve as president and vice president of the council once they take office.
June 30, 2025
Louisiana Weekly
New Orleans City Council members stepped into history on June 12, 2025, when they named the intersection near Booker T. Washington (BTW) in honor of the iconic educator Dr. Elliot C. Willard Sr. Willard served as the school’s principal from 1977 through 1983.
May 13, 2025
WVUE Fox 8
A proposal to increase Louisiana’s homestead exemption for the first time in more than four decades is gaining traction at the State Capitol. The measure, authored by Rep. Matt Willard (D-New Orleans), would allow local parishes to increase the homestead exemption from the current $75,000 to as much as $125,000 of a home’s assessed value.
May 13, 2025
WWL-TV
Louisiana is proudly, sometimes notoriously, pro-gun. I’m a hunter myself, and like most hunters, I put safety first. That’s why I like House Bill 220 by New Orleans Representative Matthew Willard. The bill would make it a misdemeanor to intentionally, or with criminal negligence, place a loaded gun in a home or vehicle that leads to a child either firing the weapon, or hurting or killing himself or someone else.
May 6, 2025
WVUE Fox 8
For decades, Louisiana’s homestead exemption has been $75,000. But a state lawmaker from New Orleans wants it to be higher. “This bill proposes to increase the homestead exemption in the state constitution from $75,000 to $125,000,” said Rep. Matt Willard (D-New Orleans).
May 6, 2025
Biz New Orleans
State Representative Matthew Willard (D-New Orleans) has announced that he is calling on his colleagues in the Louisiana Legislature on May 6 in the House Ways and Means Committee to support a Constitutional Amendment to increase the state’s Homestead Exemption.
April 15, 2025
WDSU
“Every year, the bill goes up, whether you’ve had accidents or not. My bill increases every single year,” said Gloria Scott. High auto insurance premiums are still a major concern for many Louisianians.
April 14, 2025
WWL
Louisiana lawmakers have a full agenda as they opened this year’s regular session amid unpredictable federal cuts and skyrocketing insurance rates. Among the top priorities this session are tax reform, tort reform and balancing the state budget without cutting essential services.
April 14, 2025
WVUE Fox 8
The only difference between trial lawyers and insurance companies, Gov. Jeff Landry told state lawmakers Monday (April 14) in his speech to open the 2025 legislative session, is that one wants to skin you from the ankle up and the other wants to skin you from the ear down.
April 13, 2025
Black Source Media
On Monday, the Louisiana Legislature reconvenes in Baton Rouge. As usual, the Capitol will buzz with suits, lobbyists, and lawmakers making big promises. But this year, with a fiscal session on the table, lawmakers are mostly limited to addressing financial matters—budgets, taxes, revenue, and appropriations. Each legislator is allowed to file up to five non-fiscal bills, but the heart of the session is money. And let’s be clear: New Orleans has a lot on the line.
Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, is running for a New Orleans City Council at-large seat.
April 9, 2025
NOLA.com / Gambit
Louisiana state Rep. Matthew Willard announced on Wednesday that he is running for a New Orleans City Council at-large seat this fall. The citywide seat will be open as Vice President Helena Moreno, who holds it currently, is term-limited and running for mayor.
Rep. Matt Willard’s entry into the at-large race sets up a showdown with one of his state House colleagues.
April 9, 2025
NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune
State Rep. Matthew Willard, a Gentilly native who as head of the Louisiana House Democratic Caucus has marshaled opposition to Gov. Jeff Landry’s conservative agenda, is running for a seat on the New Orleans City Council.
April 9, 2025
NOLA Newswire
State Representative Matthew Willard, who serves District 97 in the Louisiana House of Representatives, today announced that he will qualify in July for the Council At-Large seat being vacated by Councilmember Helena Moreno. The election is scheduled for October 11, 2025.
April 9, 2025
Press Release
State Representative Matthew Willard, who serves District 97 in the Louisiana House of Representatives, today announced that he will qualify in July for the Council at-Large seat being vacated by Councilmember Helena Moreno. The election is scheduled for October 11, 2025.
March 28, 2025
State Affairs
Last year the state party organized a road show throughout the state. We must do more of that and go into rural and urban communities that feel abandoned by Democrats. We also must do a better job with candidate recruitment and begin identifying viable candidates in..