A look at Atlanta mayoral candidate Sharon Gay

3 min readOct 6, 2021

This year, there will be 14 candidates on the ballot for Atlanta mayor. In this article, we’ll introduce you to one of the 14 candidates: Sharon Gay.

Who is Sharon Gay?

Sharon Gay worked as the deputy chief of staff and executive counsel to Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell in the mid 1990s.

She currently works as a partner practicing public policy at the law firm Dentons. In this role, she was involved in financing for Ponce City Market, Krog Street Market, Glenwood Place, Madison Yards, Atlanta Dairies and Stockyards. She also was the Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. She previously worked as a clerk for the U.S. District Judge Horace Ward and then represented the Georgia Department of Transportation working for the state attorney general’s office.

Sharon has lived in Atlanta for 42 years and grew up in northern Alabama. She attended Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate degree, and the civil and women’s rights movements inspired her to get her law degree from Emory University. She and her husband live in Inman Park.

What are some of Sharon’s top priorities if elected?

Housing: Sharon wants to work with the Atlanta Housing Authority to address affordable housing, saying “almost nothing has been done by the Atlanta Housing Authority in the past 12 years. I would change that immediately.” She hopes to make sure that every neighborhood has decent, affordable housing for residents of all ages.

Public Safety: Sharon believes the increase in crime is the result of a decline in city services, and she wants to increase resources for mental health and social services to relieve pressure on law enforcement. She also plans to improve training for police staff, implement better policing strategies, listen to neighborhood concerns, increase police pay and incentives, use the city jail to house Fulton County inmates and make sure the court system hands out long sentences to offenders.

How can I learn more?

To find out more about Sharon’s positions on other issues, you can visit her full profile at www.branch.vote.

You can also use Branch to view information on other candidates running for Atlanta Mayor by clicking here.

Branch is here to help you feel more confident and informed when you walk into your polling place on November 2nd.

Branch is a nonpartisan Georgia startup with a mission to make state and local government more approachable. You can find quality information about your next election by visiting www.branch.vote.

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A look at Atlanta mayoral candidate Sharon Gay

Who is Sharon Gay?

What are some of Sharon’s top priorities if elected?

How can I learn more?

Written by Branch Politics