An exuberant New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, in a victory speech yesterday after his re-election, tried to heal rifts by thanking President Bush for helping the rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.
Nagin narrowly defeated Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, 52.3 to 47.7 percent, in a vote largely split on racial lines. He also praised Bush for “delivering on your promise” with billions to rebuild New Orleans.