Early Voting Kicks Off in Atlanta

As aboriginal voting begins successful the City of Atlanta, we are reminded of a opus by DeBarge, “It was each a dream, a elemental fantasy, that I privation was reality…”

The mayor’s contention went into overdrive connected May 6th erstwhile the city’s existent mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, announced she would not question reelection. With her decision, Bottoms became the archetypal Atlanta politician to not service a 2nd word since Sam Massell successful 1973, aft losing to Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr., the archetypal Black politician successful the city’s history.

Bottoms faced changeless run-ins with Governor Brian Kemp. It was adjacent parts tug-of-war, adjacent parts a survey of toxic achromatic masculinity arsenic their disagreements connected the handling of present-day issues similar rising crime, the disguise mandates surrounding the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Buckhead secession movement, and easiness of voting access.

As of September 25th, homicides person accrued 23% to 121 from 98 successful 2020, according to Atlanta Police Department’s weekly transgression report. From 2019, homicides person risen 65%. Aggravated assaults grew 17% to 1,850 from 1,582. Auto thefts and thefts from vehicles roseate 18% to 6,083 from 5,174.

In 2020, the Atlanta Police Department investigated 157 homicide cases — the astir successful much than 2 decades. APD besides has mislaid 600 officers since the decease of Rayshard Brooks successful June 2020. While citizens successful Atlanta’s Black neighborhoods are reluctant of heavier constabulary presence, information has go the nexus of Buckhead seceding from the City of Atlanta.   

“We consciousness we’re surviving successful a warfare portion successful Buckhead,” said person of the Buckhead City movement, Bill White. 

Antonio Brown, Andre Dickens, Sharon Gay, Felicia Moore and Kasim Reed each person dreams regarding what Atlanta could beryllium if elected to beryllium the adjacent mayor. Over the past 2 months, The Atlanta Voice has interviewed each campaigner arsenic they laid retired their visions for our metropolis successful tough, yet personable interviews. 

Nearly 5 months anterior to Bottoms’s decision, Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore announced her intentions connected Jan. 20th arsenic she filed paperwork that would let her to rise funds for an upcoming mayoral campaign. 

Moore has been a subordinate of the Atlanta City Council for 20 years, serving arsenic the person of District Nine successful the Collier Hills neighborhood. The past 5 assembly presidents earlier Moore, including Ceasar Mitchell, Lisa Borders, and Cathy Woolard each person tally for mayor. None were successful.

Next, Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens announced his candidacy for politician connected May 13th. Dickens is simply a southwest Atlanta autochthonal and a postgraduate of Mays High School and Georgia Tech. He presently is seat of the assembly proscription committee. 

Dickens presently serves arsenic the Georgia Community Leader for TechBridge, a nonprofit that drives assemblage interaction by bringing affordable exertion and concern expertise to different nonprofit organizations.

After being elected to the Atlanta City Council Post 3 astatine Large successful 2013, Dickens ran unopposed successful 2017 and was subsequently re-elected. 

During Dickens’s archetypal term, helium served arsenic seat for the Public Safety & Legal Administration and Community Development & Human Services Committees and has served connected the Code Enforcement & Budget Commissions arsenic good arsenic the Boards of the Atlanta Beltline, Invest Atlanta, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Following Dickens, Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown announced his intentions to tally for politician connected Friday, May 14th. Brown represents District Three, which contains English Avenue, Vine City positive Atlantic Station, and West Midtown. Brown is known for his activism successful societal justice, speaking retired for the marginalized and mediocre communities, advocating for the rights, safety, and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ assemblage seeks to “Reimagine Atlanta.”

“People are nary longer asking for a spot astatine the table. They realized that they are the table, and elected officials are conscionable invited guests to that table,” Brown explained during his announcement code connected May 15th.

If Brown, 36, wins, helium would go the second-youngest politician successful Atlanta’s history. In 1974 Jackson was elected to bureau astatine the property of 36 years and 8 months. Elected to the metropolis assembly successful 2019 to capable the precocious Ivory Lee Young’s seat, Brown has served little than a afloat word and earlier serving connected the assembly was chartless politically successful Atlanta.

Attorney Sharon A. Gay, who served arsenic lawman main of unit and enforcement counsel to erstwhile Mayor of Atlanta Bill Campbell and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, has besides thrown her sanction into the hat. She promises to use her acquisition with shaping nationalist policy, onshore zoning and assemblage engagement to amended the city. 

Lastly, the 59th Mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed entered the contention July 27th saying, “I cognize however to hole crime, and I bash cognize I could crook our transgression situation astir successful 180 days, and I cognize that I’ve done it before.” In our interview, Reed spoke straight to the supporters of ‘Buckxit’ successful our interview.

“What we person to bash is successful 180 to 240 days amusement radical successful Buckhead, and each done the city, that transgression and unit was a infinitesimal successful clip and not a imperishable condition,” Reed said.

Reed promptly raised $1 cardinal wrong the archetypal 20 days of his candidacy and has raised much than $2.8 cardinal according to his latest filing. 

As we hole to embark upon predetermination season, the silly play replete with antics and antagonistic ads volition statesman its crescendo. 

Tuesday, a substance connection that was implied to beryllium sent by the Fulton County Republican Party, seemingly endorsed Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore’s campaign. Moore was photographed with Republican Burt Jones, a campaigner for Lieutenant Governor and staunch state of Donald J. Trump and main sponsor of Buckhead cityhood legislation. 

The Andre Dickens and Kasim Reed Campaigns person denied immoderate engagement successful the substance messages. Also, the Fulton County Republican Party says they bash not endorse candidates and the existent flier was for an October 9th conscionable and greet. 

In all, determination are fourteen radical moving for mayor. Eleven of the fourteen candidates  person submitted responses to our questionnaires, which tin beryllium recovered connected our #ElectionCentral landing leafage connected TheAtlantaVoice.com. We besides person profiles connected the candidates for Atlanta City Council President and selected Council seats.

Election Day is November 2nd. Georgia rules specify if a campaigner does not surpass the 50 percent positive 1 threshold (an outright majority), a runoff predetermination volition beryllium held for the apical 2 finishers. If determination is simply a runoff election, it volition beryllium scheduled for November 30th.