Gabriela Biro’s opponents in the Orleans Parish School Board race had corporate donors, name recognition, and political clout she didn’t have. But years spent behind the chair gave the hairstylist and mom an asset they lacked.
“I’m speaking to people constantly,” says Biro, 34. “They go off of data, but I’m an expert on vibes.”
The political newcomer shook up New Orleans poll watchers in December by winning the runoff election for an open seat on the city’s school board.
Biro’s opponent was a longtime fixture in local education, endorsed by high-profile politicos despite reports of fraud and impropriety. Earlier, in the race’s primary election in November, both ran against a third candidate backed by out-of-state corporate funding.
“As a parent who wants to send their child to public schools, I did not feel comfortable with either of those people being my elected official,” she says. “So I thought, ‘I’m just going to do it myself.’”
Getting Schooled About Local Schools
Biro had long participated in activism and mutual aid, but prior to 2024 had no ambitions to run for office.
For much of her life, it was about survival. “I grew up very poor,” she says. “Going to university wasn’t a great option for me, because I needed to have a job and make money. And I had always wanted to be an artist.”
Cosmetology school seemed like the obvious answer. “I love people, so that aspect of the job also was really exciting for me.”
She and her husband moved from Seattle to New Orleans in 2016. Biro found her salon home at Fifi’s Bywater Beauty Parlor in a historically working-class neighborhood struggling against rising costs from gentrification.
Her clientele was a true mix of the city’s population: white- and blue-collar workers, artists, musicians, parents, and activists like herself.
“It was the first salon environment where I felt like I had creative control and freedom with my schedule, with my clients. I finally felt that I was able to be myself in my workplace,” she says.
“I really enjoy the environment. Even though we’re a commission salon, we don’t have a competitive environment. We collaborate. And our clients are amazing people.”
Working there, Biro took in eye-opening revelations about New Orleans’ schools. “A lot of my clients are teachers or former teachers, or have children in the school system,” she says, “and I noticed a pattern.
“My clients who are educators were getting treated badly by the administration. Sometimes their checks would be shorted. They were having a lot of struggles.
“Speaking with people about their lives made me realize a lot of our systems are very broken.”
Biro then learned about the two candidates planning to run for the open School Board seat in her district. “One was being backed by an out-of-state charter-school PAC to the tune of $100,000, and the other competitor had a long history of impropriety. As a mother, I didn’t want that.”
Biro had worked part-time since her son Lui's birth in 2022, and planned to return to the salon full-time when he started daycare over the summer.
But her husband had other ideas. “He said, ‘I think you should run,’" she recalls. "He was the one who encouraged me.
“I thought, I’ll put my name on the ballot and we’ll see what happens.”
The Secret Sauce: A Career Behind the Chair
The race was an uphill battle. A non-native Louisianan and an outsider to old-guard New Orleans politics, Biro faced opponents who belonged to a club she wasn’t part of. They weren’t subtle about belittling her occupation.
“Some people did disparage my work, and I think that just reflects on them and how disconnected they are,” she says. “Other people enjoyed the fact that I’m a hairstylist, a normal person.”
Biro took to Instagram to address rude comments about her occupation. “I am an amazing hairstylist,” she said in her post. “I’m really proud of my profession. I give people a service they need …
“It doesn’t matter if you have advanced degrees. That doesn’t say anything about you as a person,” she said. “We need to stop shaming people for their work. Every job is valuable.”
In fact, Biro thinks her occupation gave her an advantage among voters. “People would tell me, I love that you’re a hairstylist. It means you listen to people and you have to face direct accountability. Which is true. If someone is unhappy with my work, they tell me and I fix it. A lot of people in politics are not used to that.”
Biro’s stamina and interpersonal skills were also major assets while canvassing. Plus, her salon job put her in contact with a stream of clients invested in local politics.
Through both the primary and runoff races, Biro argued her opponents’ backgrounds weren’t any more relevant than hers: A daughter of an immigrant single mother. An intelligent child whose learning disabilities went undiagnosed. A military spouse. A parent.
During the runoff, when it came time for a televised debate, Biro’s opponent didn’t show. So she stood alone, answering question after question on issues such as direct-run vs. charter schools, how to serve students needing special education and English as a Second Language, and the school system’s financial crisis.
“I would like to see less loans and more of the city giving our schools the money they really deserve,” she told interviewer Travers Mackel. “We have plenty of money for certain things like building prisons, but when it comes to our schools, we seem to not be willing to invest in that way.”
Staying in Touch With the People
After winning the runoff election with 55 percent of the vote, Biro will assume her new role in the beginning of January.
It’s a part-time position, so she will continue working behind the chair. “Being a hairstylist, I can make my own schedule. I can block myself off,” she says. “That is a big asset.”
By the time her own child enters the school system in a couple of years, Biro hopes she will have been instrumental in making important progress, especially in the areas of mental health and social services and early education.
She also would like to see more working people run for office, stressing that beauty and grooming professionals have an advantage they can capitalize on.
“We are forward-facing and we speak with people all day, and that is a huge skill when it comes to politics,” Biro says.
“If you can hone in on that, it will give you a lot of success.”