NEW ORLEANS, LA – In a move political analysts are calling “historic” and law enforcement is calling “deeply frustrating,” escaped inmate Antoine Massey has officially entered the 2026 race for Orleans Parish Sheriff, despite still being very much on the run.
Massey, who tunneled out of the city’s troubled jail facility in May using what investigators believe was “a combination of plumbing failures, poor oversight, and raw determination,” says he’s the most qualified person to fix the broken system since he literally broke it.
“I know where the blind spots are,” Massey declared in a pre-recorded campaign video posted from an undisclosed location. “And unlike the current sheriff, I promise I’ll find me within the first 100 days in office.”
Massey’s platform includes immediate lockdowns on fast-food runs by jail staff, mandatory cell drywall inspections, and replacing guards with decoys made of cardboard that, in his words, “would still do a better job and save hundreds of thousands in overtime.”
Sheriff Susan Hutson, whose approval rating has plummeted to 18% since the escape, has yet to comment publicly. Sources say she’s reviewing whether campaign finance laws apply to wanted fugitives.
Meanwhile, Massey’s campaign team, believed to be mostly made up of burner phones and cousins, is currently polling ahead of two declared candidates and has been endorsed by his entire cell block.
