Mayoral election in Atlanta, Georgia (2017)

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2021 → ← 2013
2017 Atlanta mayoral elections
Election dates
Filing deadline: August 25, 2017
General election: November 7, 2017 Runoff election: December 5, 2017
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor, city council president, city council, city judges
Total seats up: 27 (click here for other city elections)
Election type: Nonpartisan
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2017
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City Councilwoman Keisha Bottoms (D) defeated City Councilwoman Mary Norwood (I) in the Atlanta mayoral runoff election on December 5. Norwood's campaign requested a recount on December 13 after official results showed her behind by 832 votes out of 92,502 ballots cast. The recount on December 14 confirmed that Bottoms had won. Norwood and Bottoms advanced out of a 12-candidate field in the November 7 general election for the open mayoral seat. Mayor Mayor Kasim Reed (D) was term-limited and could not run for re-election. Learn more about the issues discussed by mayoral candidates in this election by clicking here.

The city council president, three at-large council members, 12 by-district council members, and 10 city judges were also up for general election. Four council members running for mayor and two more not seeking re-election left six open seats to be filled on the council. Click here to learn more about those races.

Elections

In order to run in this election, candidates had to file between August 21, 2017, and August 25, 2017, with the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections. The election was nonpartisan but partisan affiliation is indicated based on public statements by the candidates.

Candidates

This symbol, , next to a candidate's name indicates his or her participation in Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey. Click the image next to a candidate's name to jump to their page detailing their responses.

Note: Mayor Kasim Reed was term-limited and could not run for re-election.

Runoff election

☑ Keisha Bottoms, District 11 councilwoman
☐ Mary Norwood, At-large Position 2 city councilwoman

General election

☐ Peter Aman, former city of Atlanta COO
☐ Rohit Ammanamanchi
☑ Keisha Bottoms, District 11 councilwoman
☐ John Eaves, former Fulton County Commission chair
☐ Vincent Fort, former state senator
☐ Kwanza Hall, District 2 councilman
☐ Laban King, Millennial Global Investments CEO (withdrew but remained on ballot)
☐ Ceasar Mitchell, city council president
☐ Mary Norwood, At-large Position 2 city councilwoman
☐ Michael Sterling (withdrew but remained on ballot)
☐ Cathy Woolard, former city councilwoman
☐ Glenn Wrightson

Endorsements and ratings

Endorsements

The following table displays group endorsements issued in Atlanta's 2017 general election:

Candidate endorsements
Endorser	Candidate
Georgia Equality	Cathy Woolard
Georgia Police Benevolent Association	Mary Norwood
International Association of Fire Fighters Local 134	Mary Norwood
Log Cabin Republicans	Ceasar Mitchell Mary Norwood
Our Revolution	Vincent Fort
Progressive Firefighters of Atlanta	Ceasar Mitchell
UFCW Local 1996	Ceasar Mitchell

Scorecard

The Committee for a Better Atlanta (CBA), a nonpartisan business group, issued candidate scores for mayoral and city council candidates in 2017. Scores were divided into five categories: Excellent (90-100), Well-Qualified (80-89), Average (70-79), Not Qualified (1-69), and Did Not Participate. Candidates were scored on their responses to surveys on public safety, financial competence, ethics, transportation, affordable housing, and the arts.

CBA mayoral scores
Candidate	CBA Rating	CBA Score (out of 100)
Peter Aman	Excellent	96
Rohit Ammanamanchi	Not Qualified	N/A
Keisha Bottoms	Well-Qualified	82
John Eaves	Excellent	91
Vincent Fort	Did Not Participate	N/A
Kwanza Hall	Excellent	90
Carl Jackson	Not Qualified	N/A
Laban King	Not Qualified	N/A
Ceasar Mitchell	Excellent	92
Mary Norwood	Did Not Participate	N/A
Michael Sterling	Well-Qualified	88
Cathy Woolard	Excellent	94
Glenn Wrightson	Not Qualified	N/A

Additional elections on the ballot

The runoff election on December 5, 2017, included races for mayor, four city council seats, two county commission seats, and four school board seats.

Atlanta's general election shared the ballot with races for city council, city judge, and nine seats on the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education. A special election for two seats on the Fulton County Commission shared the ballot with municipal elections.

Past elections

• Click year below to navigate:
• 2013
• 2009

2013

Mayor of Atlanta, General Election, 2013
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Kasim Reed Incumbent	84.1%	40,157
Al Bartell	5.3%	2,550
Glenn Wrightson	4.9%	2,342
Fraser Duke	4.4%	2,117
Write-in votes	1.2%	576
Total Votes		47,742
Source: Fulton County, Georgia, "2013 General Municipal Election Summary," accessed September 25, 2017

2009

Mayor of Atlanta, Runoff Election, 2009
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Kasim Reed	50.5%	39,290
Mary Norwood	49.5%	38,443
Total Votes		77,733
Source: Fulton County, Georgia, "December 9, 2009 Atlanta Mayor Recount," accessed September 25, 2017

Mayor of Atlanta, General Election, 2009
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mary Norwood	46%	33,279
Kasim Reed	36.5%	26,446
Lisa Borders	14.2%	10,272
Jesse Spikes	2.5%	1,777
Kyle Keyser	0.7%	480
Peter Brownlowe	0.1%	97
Write-in votes	0.1%	60
Total Votes		72,254
Source: Fulton County, Georgia, "November 3, 2009 Atlanta," accessed September 25, 2017

Issues

Election Basics

• Democratic dominance over mayor's office: Democrats have held the mayor's office since 1879, when Nedom Angier (R) left the office to William Calhoun (D). Mary Norwood considered herself an independent candidate and led in 2017 polling prior to the general election. Norwood lost in a runoff with Kasim Reed (D) in the 2009 mayoral election that required a recount due to Reed's narrow margin of victory.
• Race in the mayoral election: In mayoral elections from 1973 to 2013, Atlanta elected only black mayors. Maynard Jackson became the first black mayor in the city's history after the 1973 election, and Shirley Franklin became the city's first black female mayor after the 2001 election. The city's population grew from 416,474 in 2000 to 448,901 in 2015 according to the United States Census Bureau. During this time, the portion of the city's population that was black shrank from 61.4 percent to 52.9 percent.
• Gender in the mayoral election: The winner of the runoff election between Keisha Bottoms and Norwood became the second female mayor in the city's history. Franklin became the first female mayor of Atlanta following her election in 2001.
• Runoff endorsements by former mayoral candidates: Councilman Kwanza Hall endorsed Bottoms in the runoff election against Norwood on November 14, 2017. Norwood received the endorsements of Ceasar Mitchell (November 21), Peter Aman (November 27), and Cathy Woolard (November 29).
• Former mayor's endorsement of Norwood: Former Mayor Shirley Franklin endorsed Norwood on November 27, 2017.
• Former aide's endorsement of Mitchell: Michael Sterling, a former aide to Mayor Reed, announced his withdrawal from the mayoral race on October 24, 2017, and endorsed Ceasar Mitchell.
• Reed's endorsement of Bottoms: Term-limited Mayor Reed announced his endorsement of Bottoms for mayor on October 11, 2017.
• Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) campaigned with Vincent Fort on September 30, 2017. The campaign appearance followed an endorsement of Fort by Sanders and Our Revolution earlier in the campaign.

Campaign themes

Atlanta Magazine questionnaire

On October 25, 2017, Atlanta Magazine published responses by mayoral candidates to a series of questions about major issues facing the city. The following boxes compare excerpts from answers to questions about housing costs, education, and transportation from candidates Peter Aman, Keisha Bottoms, Ceasar Mitchell, and Mary Norwood. These candidates were identified as leading candidates in the race based on polling and campaign fundraising.

Housing costs (click [show] to open)

Peter Aman “ As mayor, I will prioritize solutions that allow either the city or the communities themselves to preserve some form of ownership. Community development corporations and land trusts are great examples. I started on this work as a private citizen and board member of the Westside Future Fund by making sure real estate speculators don’t profit at the community’s expense in the neighborhoods near the new [Mercedes-Benz] stadium. As mayor, I will also call for housing for those making minimum wage and below. We should also look beyond income to the needs of specific groups. For instance, we should look into ways for our police officers to live in the community they police, for artists to live and work in a shared space, and for seniors to thrive in neighborhoods where they are safe and connected. In the latter case, I support various forms of homestead exemptions. Many seniors pay 50 percent of their income into their homes each month, which is unsustainable. They need some relief. ” —Peter Aman (2017) Keisha Bottoms “ Atlanta without Atlantans is not the home we know and love. That is why I have proposed a comprehensive affordability strategy. As mayor, I will use property and development rights owned by the city to seek $500 million in private investment for a housing affordability and anti-displacement trust fund. Our city is best when public and private come together for urgent tasks that are necessary both economically and morally. A dedicated fund will allow us to increase neighborhood stability and investment through the public acquisition, rehabilitation, and sale of vacant properties to income-qualified buyers or mission-driven developers. It can also fund targeted down payment assistance and property tax mitigation projects. And, importantly, it can finance the construction of critically necessary affordable units. I will urgently convene local leaders to once and for all find the resources to create an inclusive, affordable Atlanta. I will also launch an initiative dedicated to the well-being of renters and rental housing. We will create a comprehensive inventory of affordable rental stock; assist landlords in maintaining unit quality; directly engage developers dedicated to high-quality, affordable rental projects; enforce rental quality standards; and promote the rights of renters throughout the city. ” —Keisha Bottoms (2017) Ceasar Mitchell “ The issue of affordable housing disproportionately affects our seniors and working families. As a real estate attorney, I will bring my knowledge of this sector to the office and implement actionable ideas that help real people. In fact it was one the top issues during my time as Atlanta City Council president. As mayor it will remain a priority. Specifically I will: Launch my “Blight to Light” initiative, which will transform more than 5,000 of the city’s most dilapidated, vacant, and abandoned homes into affordable housing options for low to middle-income families, educators, recent college graduates, and first responders. Establish affordable housing requirements citywide. Specifically my administration will revise the city’s affordable housing policy to require residential developers to set aside 20 percent of their units as affordable instead of the current threshold of 10 percent. Create a housing trust fund that can be used to provide down payments assistance to low-income individuals and working families Ensure Invest Atlanta funds senior home repairs program with Office of Housing. I believe homeowners should be educated on how to appropriately address housing issues, so the initiative will also offer distressed-homeowner workshops to assist owners and arm them with helpful information. ” —Ceasar Mitchell (2017) Mary Norwood “ As Mayor I will work with all interested parties to increase the supply of affordable housing. There is no one “best practice” on addressing this issue. However, we as a city can institute a set of policies designed to increase the number of units of affordable housing. There are three main types of instruments: unit set-asides, monetary or other compensation to builder/developers, and rent control. Of these, Atlanta has the legal authority to act upon unit set-asides and builder/developer compensation. It takes vision and political will to have a desirable, inclusive community in which we want for our city. ” —Mary Norwood (2017)

Education (click [show] to open)

Peter Aman “ It all starts with early childhood education. It’s morally unjust that your preparedness for Kindergarten is by-and-large influenced by your zip code. I think every child deserves a fair shot. It’s also an economic imperative. Studies show anywhere between a $2 to $9 return on each dollar invested in a young child. It’s the key to uprooting poverty. That’s why I am committed to providing quality-rated comprehensive education for children under the age of four who want and need it. It will be a big lift, with support needed from multiple sources. I know the investment in our children and our city’s future will be worth every penny. While our public schools do facilitate some early childhood programs, it is not specifically in their charter. That gives the mayor prerogative to act. For K-12, I will be an active partner with the superintendent, making sacrifices to make things better for our children and their families through wrap-around services like mental health counseling, financial advisement, and other city resources. I would also look to be an honest broker between businesses and APS to foster an apprenticeship program that ties high school curriculum to real jobs upon graduation. ” —Peter Aman (2017) Keisha Bottoms “ I have proposed a platform with a particular focus on education because every Atlanta child deserves a great start and a chance to achieve their dreams. The city might not have control over the public schools, but there are ample opportunities for the city to prioritize the resources it does control in a way that is supportive of the school system, and to improve coordination with the schools on issues of mutual interest. For example, some of my proudest work as a member of Atlanta City Council includes authoring lead-testing legislation that resulted in Atlanta Public Schools testing and addressing the safety of its water in schools throughout the city, and working to protect our children and communities against vicious dog attacks by coordinating city and county resources. To help our students reach their fullest potential, I have proposed to give every Atlanta child a great start by creating a Children’s Savings Account program to help put college or other future opportunities within reach. Only about $250,000 would provide a $50 seed savings for every APS kindergarten student. I will also make the sidewalks, streetlights, and other [means of] safety near schools the top priority of our infrastructure investment and public safety programs. Our city is making major investments in road and transit infrastructure and public safety, and as mayor I will make projects that support safe routes to school a key priority for those investments. ” —Keisha Bottoms (2017) Ceasar Mitchell “ As the husband and son of APS school teachers, the issue closest to my heart is ensuring our children receive a world-class education. For the past 10 years as council president, I have partnered with APS to help advance the educational opportunities for our young people through my College Prep Series—a college admissions exam preparation program. More than 7,000 middle and high school students and their parents have participated. I believe we can improve education outcomes for Atlanta’s children in a number of ways. As mayor, I will: Launch “Opportunity Village”—Work with APS to create an initiative called 7th Period, which bridges the concepts and principles students learn during the school day with 21st century skills such as coding and STEM, to ensure that our students are successful in tomorrow’s economy Enhance the City of Atlanta/Atlanta Public Schools Joint Commission created by councilmember Andre Dickens. As an extension of the efforts by this team, we can lead efforts to ensure the Department of Parks and Recreation’s programming collaborates more with APS on programming Partner with education and business stakeholders and philanthropic community to invest in early start and preschool initiatives to ensure that every child receives the same strong start Create mentorship programs to keep youth off the streets and encourage our public safety officers to be coaches and mentors Commit to coordinating more closely with schools on infrastructure projects such as the installation of sidewalks and bikeways to create safer, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. ” —Ceasar Mitchell (2017) Mary Norwood “ In Atlanta, the mayor does not have purview over education and schools in our city. However, I believe mayors have both a moral responsibility and obligation to improve educational prospects for our children in the Atlanta Public Schools system. Using city resources to support our schools to increase student achievement in support of academic success is a legitimate expenditure. ” —Mary Norwood (2017)

Transportation (click [show] to open)

Peter Aman “ This is a “bet the farm” situation. We need more buses, bus routes, and bus rapid transit to improve ridership, as well as placing our traffic lights on a central grid. Both will reduce road congestion. Light rail and heavy rail are longer term projects. But if we get started now and work successfully with MARTA and private partners, they can be expedited and make a real impact, whether it’s linking the Beltline or neighborhoods in town that currently exist on islands. We also have to do the little things right. We must grow and better maintain our sidewalk infrastructure while providing more options for cyclists. But the bigger question here is one of trust. This is a multi-billion-dollar investment. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity, the likes we haven’t seen since the formation of MARTA. We need someone who can work effectively with the state and private partners. We need someone who knows how to spend a sum of this size quickly and efficiently. I am the only candidate who has helped manage the city. I am the only candidate who has worked on projects of this scale. We cannot trust a job this big and this important to a legislator with zero experience shepherding projects of this magnitude. ” —Peter Aman (2017) Keisha Bottoms “ Atlantans deserve a comprehensive transit network. No Atlantan should face uncertainty over being able to get to work, school, or the grocery store because they lack access to a vehicle, yet that is the reality for too many of our residents. Data shows that Atlanta residents south of I-20 have the longest daily commutes. These neighborhoods need mobility relief. Atlanta has embarked on a multi-billion-dollar transit investment initiative. As mayor, I’ll make sure that our transit investments prioritize a useable mix of safe, reliable options for the Atlanta neighborhoods in the south and west where residents are least likely to have access to a vehicle, and where transit options are otherwise lacking. Additionally, I will push to dedicate a percentage of transit funding for transit-oriented development, with an eye toward residential affordability. Dedicating even 1 percent of referendum funds to creating affordable communities, vibrant business districts, and the kind of retail that supports the needs of families, would make millions of dollars available to preserve and expand the kinds of neighborhoods that Atlantans need. Plus, these kinds of livable, walkable communities save residents money by decreasing wear and tear on our streets and highways; decrease traffic by removing cars from the road; and create the community cohesion that has been shown to make neighborhoods safer. ” —Keisha Bottoms (2017) Ceasar Mitchell “ As council president I continue to work closely with the Atlanta Regional Commission to help develop alternative transit options and have been front and center on exploring solutions to Atlanta’s growing traffic concerns. In short, the money should be spent the way the taxpayers want! The list of transit projects has been approved by voters and as mayor, I will certainly honor their wishes. I believe projects that offer true connectivity will have the most impact, and I’m excited to address the woes of traffic and congestion by improving mobility. It can have a profound effect on quality of life. Transit plans include the extension of MARTA Blue Line over light rail to Emory and the completion of the Atlanta BeltLine, which I am proud to have sponsored legislation for back in the day. Finally instituting a parking tax can create an ongoing revenue source to maintain projects in the future. It can be also used to maintain roads, bridges, and sidewalks. I do not believe the burden of maintaining neighborhood sidewalks should fall upon property owners. It’s a small, yet impactful way the city can offer value and improve safety in every neighborhood. ” —Ceasar Mitchell (2017) Mary Norwood “ The city has adopted a plan for spending these transit funds. As mayor I believe the money should be spent as currently prioritized but subject to adjustments after a comprehensive review. Such a review would include the following projects. MARTA: Campbellton Road and Clifton Road light rail projects Greenbriar and Moores Mill Transit Centers Service frequency improvements System-wide bus route improvements I-20 West hard rail expansion Rail station enhancements Other transportation priorities: Increase bus network to better accommodate those who work in the city but reside outside Atlanta Provide alternative truck routes specifically to reduce traffic caused by commercial vehicles Improve traffic light and highway meter synchronization by upgrading outdated and obsolete technology Increase the number of bike lanes and enhance bike lane safety to allow for more usage and improve traffic flow Improve walkability and pedestrian safety though installation of additional sidewalks and crosswalks ” —Mary Norwood (2017)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution questionnaire

The table below details positions and reasons for running by the mayoral candidates as told to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Mayoral candidate responses (click [show] to open)
Candidate	Top issue	Reason for running
Peter Aman	"Balancing growth with livability, while improving equity. Our population will double, if not triple, in the coming years. We must prepare now for that growth by doing more on education, transportation, public safety, housing, care for our seniors and more. As mayor, I will do more to make sure City Hall works for you."	"The next mayor will be in charge of billions of tax dollars to advance our city for everyone. As the only candidate in the race with experience managing a city, I’m running to make sure your tax dollars are spent in a fair, equitable manner so we can advance Atlanta together."
Rohit Ammanamanchi	Did not provide a response.	Did not provide a response.
Keisha Bottoms	"The biggest issue we are facing as a city right now is opportunities for our young people, including access to education and youth crime."	"It really is about what I want this city to be for my four kids. And it won’t be great for them if it is not great for everybody."
John Eaves	"I will tell you now, in the 11th hour of the race, affordability is the biggest issue that seemingly comes up regardless of what audience we are before. I think the growth of this city, particularly along the Beltline and in Midtown, has been both a both a blessing and a curse."	"It’s my leadership experience. It’s integrity I have used, in terms of how I have led, and then the results and the approach … collaborating with others from a regional perspective."
Vincent Fort	"City Hall has become too focused on what’s good for the insiders instead of the needs of regular people. That’s shown by the three criminal investigations of city government corruption that are currently underway. Every taxpayer dollar that goes to an insider deal is a dollar that can’t be used to build affordable housing to help working people and seniors stay in the city, or to improve infrastructure in neighborhoods that have been ignored for too long."	"I’m running because City Hall has lost its way. It has been too focused on what’s good for the 1 percent and forgetting about the regular people who make Atlanta great, as well as the neighborhoods they live in."
Kwanza Hall	"Putting people and neighborhoods first."	"I have been so blessed to serve constituents in District 2, bringing people of all walks of life together to solve problems big and small. Now I want to do that all over the city. I’ll be everybody’s mayor."
Carl Jackson	Did not provide a response.	Did not provide a response.
Laban King	Did not provide a response.	Did not provide a response.
Ceasar Mitchell	"Making Atlanta a city of opportunities, for jobs, quality of life for citizens and quality education for young people."	"I believe this city is an incredible city of promise. And, as mayor, I want to make sure this city continues to meet its promise to our young people. I want to make sure this city continues to meet its promise to families who move here to pursue a dream."
Mary Norwood	"I think public safety is always the most important issue. It just is. People need to feel safe and be safe."	"I have the trust of citizens all over the city. My vision for the city is an equitable, fair, prosperous, sustainable city."
Michael Sterling (withdrawn)	"Everyone deserves to be heard, to be treated fairly and to have public officials who give you their best and are willing to work hard for you. We deserve to look forward without leaving anyone behind. We deserve a city that considers everyone."	"I don’t think this is the time to sit on the sidelines and spectate. I am running for all of the true believers who refuse to accept the status quo and believe that we can ask for more, achieve better and include everyone in the promise of Atlanta."
Cathy Woolard	"I think it’s transportation, but I think affordability is a very close second. Transportation has been a problem for so long, it is ubiquitous. Everybody suffers from transportation problems, traffic problems, getting around, the expense of it. Not everybody has the same relationship to affordable housing but virtually everyone realizes that it is a big problem in the city. The displacement of people is really palpable."	"I’m fighting for ATL: affordability, transportation, livability."
Glenn Wrightson	Did not provide a response.	Did not provide a response.

About the city

See also: Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is a city in Fulton County, Georgia. As of 2010, its population was 420,003.

City government

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Atlanta uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Atlanta, Georgia
	Atlanta	Georgia
Population	420,003	9,687,653
Land area (sq mi)	135	57,716
Race and ethnicity**
White	40.9%	58.6%
Black/African American	51%	31.6%
Asian	4.4%	4%
Native American	0.3%	0.4%
Pacific Islander	0%	0.1%
Two or more	2.4%	2.6%
Hispanic/Latino	4.3%	9.5%
Education
High school graduation rate	90.9%	87.1%
College graduation rate	51.8%	31.3%
Income
Median household income	$59,948	$58,700
Persons below poverty level	20.8%	15.1%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Atlanta Georgia election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Mayoral election in Atlanta, Georgia (2017) - Google News

See also

Atlanta, Georgia	Georgia	Municipal government	Other local coverage
Atlanta, Georgia Cities in Georgia Fulton County, Georgia	2017 Georgia elections Public policy in Georgia Endorsers in Georgia Georgia	Top counties 100 largest cities Current mayors Current council officials	2017 municipal elections 2017 school board elections 2017 local ballot measure elections 2017 local judicial elections

External links

Suggest a link

• City of Atlanta