Arthur Morrell, who spent decades representing New Orleans as a criminal court clerk and in the State Capitol, hopes to make a return to politics by way of a vacant state Senate seat.

Morrell on Dec. 4 announced his candidacy for the state Senate’s District 3 seat based in New Orleans, three years after he retired as clerk of criminal district court and as city’s chief elections officer.

The seat represents swaths of Gentilly, New Orleans East, and riverfront neighborhoods stretching from Marigny to Holy Cross, as well as the Lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish. It became vacant after Joseph Bouie in August began his tenure as chancellor of Southern University at New Orleans. The election is Feb. 7, and qualifying begins Dec. 17.

Morrell, 82, said that if elected, he’d focus on ways

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