Tommy Hughes

Vote Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Early voting Oct. 20–27, 2026 (except Sun. Oct. 25)

Tommy Hughesfor Harahan City Council

Building our future here

Tommy Hughes

My Story

I was born and raised in Chalmette, just down the river.

My wife and I moved our family to Harahan in 2017, and it didn't take long to fall in love with it: friendly neighbors, a real sense of community, and a city that feels like it's the right size to actually get things done.

In 2021, I stepped up to help do exactly that. The site of the former Colonial Country Club had sat vacant for years, and its planned redevelopment ran into a real disagreement: neighbors raised safety and traffic concerns, while others worried that if the deal collapsed, the property could end up worse off than before. I didn't want to see the project stall; I believed a well-planned redevelopment could still be a net positive for Harahan. So I walked door-to-door, talked with hundreds of residents, gathered petition signatures, and pushed for a compromise. The City Council and the developer ultimately reached one that let both the neighborhood and the project move forward.

“I want to help make sure Harahan keeps getting better — for the families who've been here for generations, and for the ones just getting started here, like we did.”

A Problem-Solver, Ready to Serve

Decades of listening carefully, understanding how complex systems work, and finding practical solutions — that's the mindset I'll bring to the City Council.

Education

  • MBA

    Louisiana Tech University

    2014

  • B.S., Information Systems & Decision Sciences

    Louisiana State University

    2004

  • High School Diploma

    Archbishop Hannan High School, Meraux, LA

    1999

Career

  • Principal Software Engineer, Red Hat

    20+ years in software engineering

    I build software and AI-powered tools at Red Hat, solving complex technical problems for organizations around the world.

  • Conference speaker & instructor

    Red Hat Summit, DevConf

    I've taught hands-on technical labs to hundreds of engineers, translating complex topics into practical, understandable steps.

Responsible Growth & Development

Harahan is growing, and how we manage that growth will shape this city for decades to come. Here's where I'll focus:

Open, accountable government

Residents deserve clear communication and real accountability from their city government.

A real voice for residents

Neighbors deserve a genuine say before decisions are made about what gets built next door, not after.

Development that fits our neighborhoods

New growth should respect the character of Harahan's existing neighborhoods, not work against it.

Let's Talk

I'd love to hear from you — questions, ideas, concerns, or just to say hello.

tommyhughesforharahan@gmail.com

Check your registration or early-voting options on the Louisiana Voter Portal.