An already heated race for Atlanta City Council President has neared a boiling point.
Atlanta City Council President candidate Marci Collier Overstreet barbed at opponent Rohit Malhotra in the midst of questioning at the Oct. 8 Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young debates.
“How can you, your positions and your record not be considered public safety hazards?” Overstreet asked Malhotra.
It was in response to Malhotra’s claims of her “silence” about a recent ad linked to her campaign that painted Malhotra as an “alarming threat to public safety.” But while the District 11 councilmember denied her involvement in the ads, she seemed to double down on Malhotra as a public safety danger.
The now-offline website called “The Real Rohit” was owned by Fred Hicks, a political operative and consultant on Overstreet’s campaign. Hicks said he registered the site, but that he did not create the content — content that claims Malhotra has “extensive ties” to efforts that aim to defund the police.
A coalition of social justice groups, including the Asian American Advocacy Fund, condemned the website and demanded Hicks’ removal, as well as an apology from Overstreet.
When asked on Oct. 8, Overstreet said she had “nothing to do with” the ads. But during the debate, she repeated its claims.
“Rohit should really own up to the fact that he actually funded groups that want to defund or abolish the police,” Overstreet said.
Overstreet is referring to Malhotra’s work as the founder and executive director of the Center for Civic Innovation, a progressive Atlanta nonprofit. Malhotra said that he has never advocated for defunding the police, but that there are “a number of organizations that have been talking about” the concept.
“What does safety look like without always talking about policing and only policing as part of a comprehensive strategy?” Malhotra asked.
The candidates offer up different visions for public safety in Atlanta. Overstreet touts her record working with law enforcement as a city councilmember, approving staff increases, equipment upgrades and pushing for neighborhood policing strategies. Malhotra looks at public safety as an “ecosystem” of issues, and often mentions mental health response teams, pre-arrest diversion services and outreach professionals as possible solutions.
Days before the debate, the Committee for a Better Atlanta released its annual candidate scores — a report card for election hopefuls decided by an in-depth questionnaire and interview process. The committee is a coalition of Atlanta’s business giants, including Delta, the Coca-Cola Company, Georgia Pacific, the Home Depot, Grady, Marriott and more. Both Malhotra and Overstreet participated.
But Marci Collier Overstreet earned an “A” rating, while Malhotra only received a “B” on his scorecard. The score reflected the committee’s main priorities for 2025: governance, economic growth, public safety and infrastructure.
Notably, Malhotra received a 78 on “safe and thriving neighborhoods,” while Overstreet received a 91. According to the interview question list, each candidate was asked if they would vote in favor of the Public Safety Training Center.
Malhotra said it wasn’t a “comprehensive question” and wanted a more robust discussion. But it points to the looming issue around the City Council President race: The Public Safety Training Center, or “Cop City.”
Overstreet is a “strong advocate” for the training center. Malhotra takes issue with the process.
When the City Council approved $67 million in spending for the facility, people opposed to the already-controversial project on city land pushed for a voter referendum. They got over 100,000 signatures – more than the required 75,000. But the council postponed the referendum due to an ongoing legal battle, and the facility opened anyway.
At the center of it, the candidates stood on different sides. Overstreet sat with the council and voted to approve the training center. Malhotra co-authored a public letter with Bernice King, pleading to put the issue to a public vote, and spoke at lengthy council meetings.
Now, Overstreet said she’s “not proud of the process” and pushed for the signatures to be counted – she just prefers to disagree behind closed doors. Malhotra jabbed back that she was doing “revisionist history.”
“This is not a conversation about policing, it’s one that is about land and power,” Malhotra said.
Yet the councilwoman doubled down on her claims that Malhotra has funded groups that want to abolish the police, and “sponsored them to come to City Hall and throw ping-pong balls at City Council.”
Malhotra later denied any involvement with the activists who threw thousands of ping-pong at the council in 2024 to protest the referendum. Instead, he joked at Overstreet.
“It seems like the ping-pong balls really hurt your feelings,” Malhotra said.
As the debate closed, each candidate pitched their ongoing campaign. Malhotra said he would be an independent voice and a “new generation of leadership that is willing to be bold and transformative.” Overstreet said she would be a leader that is “both principled and proven” — and wouldn’t allow for any ping-pong balls.
Atlanta elections for Mayor, City Council President and all City Council seats are on Nov. 4.
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