Mo Ivory will usher in a new era of leadership on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners in January. Ivory said Fulton voters sent a message that echoed across the U.S. Tuesday night: They want change, and they expect results.
Ivory defeated Republican Eric Tatum with 75% of the vote in Tuesday’s election, becoming the first Black woman and first Latina elected to chair the commission.
She will succeed longtime Commission Chairman Robb Pitts, who has served as chairman since 2017 and previously served 12 years on the board.
Ivory’s victory came on a historic night for Black women in Georgia, with Keisha Lance Bottoms elected the nation’s first Black woman governor, Penny Brown Reynolds elected secretary of state and Tanya Miller elected attorney general. Black women also won races for labor commissioner, state school superintendent, agriculture commissioner and other offices across Georgia.
Ivory said Georgia’s message as an electorate on Tuesday is “that they trust Black women.”
Voters were “ready for a decisive change, and they handed that change over to Black women to lead,” she added.
Ivory noted that major metro Atlanta counties — Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb and Clayton — will be led by Black women in January.
She said she met with Bottoms last week, and the governor-elect emphasized the importance of staying informed about issues affecting counties across Georgia.
Like Bottoms, who said in her election night speech that she would represent all Georgians, Ivory said she intends to serve all Fulton County residents, including those who did not vote for her.
Ivory said she campaigned throughout the county, from Chattahoochee Hills in South Fulton County to Mountain Park and beyond in North Fulton, and heard from residents concerned about issues affecting their neighborhoods. She wants to ensure that residents understand county services, and also that their concerns are addressed, regardless of where they live, she said.
“The voters deserve results from us,” Ivory said. “I learned so much about people whose issues [are not] focused [on] Atlanta. They are focused on what’s happening in their own neighborhood. I think people participated in this election to say, ‘I matter where I am.’”
The Commission Chair-elect said she plans to get started by addressing her four areas of priority: the jail and courts; hospitals and healthcare; the elections process; and budget transparency.
She said her first step will be to learn the status of the sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County, and meet with Sheriff Patrick Labat and officials in the district attorney’s, solicitor’s and magistrate court offices.
“Obviously that’s a very important conversation to have,” Ivory said of meeting with Labat.
“The courts matter in this as well because whether a case moves through the courts quickly or slowly, that’s what keeps the population in the jail at what it is. They are a huge part of the budgeting process, so fixing the jail means funding the courts,” she added.
A new look for Fulton County Commission
Ivory will lead a Fulton County Board of Commissioners with five new members, including her new role as chair.
Democrat Maggie Goldman defeated incumbent Republican Bridget Thorne in the District 1 race, receiving 57 percent of the vote to Thorne’s 43 percent.
“Now that Democrats have some legitimate power, we absolutely must use it,” Goldman said. “We absolutely must [deliver.]”
Goldman said one of her top priorities is ensuring that commercial properties in Fulton are accurately appraised before property assessment notices are issued in May and June.
She wants to review the tax assessor’s requests for technology upgrades and other resources that could improve the accuracy of commercial property assessments and potentially generate additional tax revenue for the county.
In a special election to fill the District 4 seat that Ivory vacated to run for chair, Rohit Malhotra defeated Natalie Hall, Karen Rene and Aaron Sampson Jr., receiving 67% of the vote.
Malhotra’s special election victory allows him to take office ahead of the other newly elected commissioners, with his first scheduled Board of Commissioners meeting on Dec. 2.
The District 3 seat currently held by outgoing Commissioner Dana Barrett will be filled by Democrat Jodi Merriday, who defeated Republican Paul Burton with 64 percent of the vote.
In District 5, Democrat Helen Zenobia Willis (94 percent) defeated Republican Tiffany A. Henyard. Willis will fill the seat currently held by Marvin S. Arrington Jr.
During a Fulton Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, Vice Chair Khadijah Abdur-Rahman described Malhotra’s victory and other election results across the country as a “referendum” on President Donald Trump.
“As we are having a commissioner-elect who is Indian American, we must understand that America is a melting pot,” Abdur-Rahman said. “Any Islamophobia issues, immigration issues that we trounce on to make someone feel less than thee is wrong.”
She added, “I feel like last night showed what America truly is. As a legislator … let’s keep in mind that we are all human beings, and we are all creations of God, and I appreciate what everyone has to offer with open arms.”
