It’s official: The Atlanta election season is in full swing.
59 candidates officially qualified for the ballot after the Aug. 22 deadline. Now, it’s a race to the polls — and a battle to get out the vote in Atlanta.
It’s a big year for Atlanta elections. Every City Council seat is up for election. So is the mayor’s office and four Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education seats. Fifteen of the candidates are incumbents, but the rest are newcomers vying for a chance at municipal office.
But the official ballot is just one part of the election frenzy. Now, the 59 candidates must face off in a series of forums and questionnaires to decide who gets to run the city for the next four years.
One of the city’s most anticipated races, City Council President, kicked off with a virtual forum on Aug. 27. There are only two official candidates for the second-in-command seat. The president presides over the council, but if anything were to happen to the mayor, they would take over.
Currency Atlanta City Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet and nonprofit executive Rohit Malhotra will face off for the seat on Nov. 4. Overstreet has called herself the “insider” candidate with government experience, while Malhotra is a policy-focused organizer who led the Center for Civic Innovation.
They joined a 30-minute Q&A over Zoom on Aug. 27 hosted by Southeast Atlanta Neighbors Take Action. During the session, the local group asked each candidate about housing, Beltline rail and their approach to the role. Overstreet had to leave the session early due to a City Council commitment. Malhotra finished the session alone.
Each candidate also explained how they see the City Council President.
Overstreet said it’s “three roles:” a substitute mayor, a tiebreaker vote, and the person who assigns committees for the city council.
“What we need most in Atlanta is a city council president that collaborates with our council colleagues and makes sure the correct people are at those (council) committee positions to make sure that we are continuing the proven progress we have,” Overstreet said.
Malhotra said it’s a role that imagines “what public policy can and should look like,” with tons of responsibilities. He also said it’s important to have the role be an independent voice that brings new ideas into the city.
“I think this role could be a very strong public advocate role to make sure people have a voice,” Malhotra said.
The pair will likely face off at more forums and candidate panels throughout the city before November. Southeast Atlanta Neighbors Take Action will also host another forum on Oct. 10 for the Atlanta City Council Post 1 At-Large candidates.
Other groups are expected to host more forums in the next two months. In the meantime, here’s a full list of the candidates vying for office in the Nov. 4 Atlanta elections.
Mayor
- Andre Dickens, Incumbent
- Helmut Domagalski
- Kalema Jackson
- Eddie Andrew Meredith
Andre Dickens kicked off his official reelection campaign on Aug. 19 at the City Hall steps. He was first elected during a runoff election in 2021, and has since focused on affordable housing, economic growth and the controversial Public Safety Training Center.
Candidates Helmut “Love” Domagalski and Kalema Jackson made an appearance at the June 17 Committee for a Better Atlanta forum. But Dickens is favored to win the seat again; since 1962, six of the past eight mayors served at least two terms. He’s already raised millions of dollars to campaign, too.
City Council President
- Marci Collier Overstreet
- Rohit Malhotra
Post 1, At-Large
- Michael Julian Bond, Incumbent
- Juan Mendoza
- Matthew Rinker
Post 2, At-Large
- Matt Westmoreland, Incumbent
Post 3 At-Large
- Eshé Collins, Incumbent
District 1
- Jason Winston, Incumbent
District 2
Councilmember Amir Farokhi made a surprise move when he resigned to run The Galloway School this summer. His seat covers Old Fourth Ward, Poncey-Highland, Midtown and Downtown. The so-called “densest” district is one of the city’s most anticipated races this year. Running are:
- Kelsea Bond
- William Jacob Chambers
- Alex Bevel Jones
- Rod Mack
- Courtney Smith
- James White III
District 3
- Byron D. Amos, Incumbent
- Perrin Bostic
District 4
- Jason Dozier, Incumbent
- Deborah “Sister” Williams
District 5
- Liliana Bakhtiari, Incumbent
District 6
- Alex Wan, Incumbent
District 7
Longtime Councilmember Howard Shook is retiring from office, freeing up the Lindbergh, Buckhead Heights and Lenox Square Mall seat.
- Jamie Anne Christy
- Allen Daly
- Thad Flowers
- Rebecca King
- Thomas Worthy
District 8
- Mary Norwood, Incumbent
District 9
- Dustin Hills, Incumbent
- Charles Bourgeois
District 10
- Andrea Boone, Incumbent
District 11
Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet served for eight years before deciding to run for City Council President, which frees up the seat in Niskey Lake, Venetian Hills and Ben Hill. Running are:
- Andre Burgin
- Curt Collier
- Stephen Dingle
- Harold Maurice Hardnett
- Toni Belin-Ingram
- Nate Jester
- Keith A. Lewis, Jr.
- Wayne Martin
- Reginald Rushin
- Sherry B. Williams
District 12
- Antonion Lewis, Incumbent
- Stephanie Flowers
- Delvin D. Davis
Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education
District 2
Aretta Baldon, who has been a school board member since 2020, will not run for reelection to “pass the baton to fresh energy.” District 2 covers the “Washington cluster” on the Westside.
- Stephen Owens
- Tony Mitchell
- Marlissa Crawford
District 4
- Jennifer McDonald, Incumbent
- Sanjay Mendonca
District 6
- Tolton R. Pace, Incumbent
- Michael Hopkins
- Patreece Hutcherson
- Jonathan Leon
- Tyrese Miller
Seat 8 At-Large
Longtime Board of Education member Cynthia Briscoe Brown will not run for a fourth term, which opens up the seat for new candidates. It is the only board election that every Atlanta voter can decide on.
- Aisha Stith
- Kaycee Brock
- Royce Mannn
