A quick guide to the 2021 Atlanta Mayor race

In just a few weeks, Atlanta will elect a new mayor. The current mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, took office four years ago, but she is not running for reelection. This open seat has already attracted 14 candidates (phew, that’s a lot), so we’re going to help you make sense of who is running and why it matters.

What’s a mayor?

You’ve probably heard of what a mayor is, and you might even have some idea of what they do. But just in case the knowledge stops there, we’ll start with the basics.

The mayor is the chief executive of Atlanta. They run the city day to day, so they’re responsible for making sure the various city departments (including roads and transportation, police, and the fire department) run smoothly. They decide how much funding each city department gets and usually have the power to appoint the heads of these departments. Similar to the US President, the mayor is the spokesperson for Atlanta, meaning they act as the liaison between Atlanta and other cities or levels of government.

Why does it matter?

Atlanta has what’s called a “strong” mayor, meaning that the mayor has a lot of power. The mayor does a lot more than just keep the city running smoothly — they make a lot of important decisions that impact your life and the issues you care about. Here are some examples:

• The mayor prepares the city budget each year, meaning they propose how much funding goes to each city department.This determines how well-funded various departments and services are, including the police department, city parks, transportation, and the fire department.
• The mayor hires and fires other city leaders, including the Police Chief, Fire Chief, and city department heads, such as City Planning, Parks & Recreation, and Transportation. This allows them to influence things which policing practices Atlanta Police Department follows or how smoothly MARTA is running.
• The mayor can enact executive orders, such as the executive order used to mandate masks in Atlanta during COVID-19.
• The Atlanta mayor can veto legislation put forward by the city council.

Who Is Running

Because this is such an important race, it has drawn a lot of competition. Over 14 candidates have qualified for the race. Those candidates are:

1. Antonio Brown — Antonio is an Atlanta City Council member representing District 3. He was elected in 2019 during a special election and is the first LGBTQ person of color elected to Atlanta City Council.
2. Andre Dickens — Andre is the Atlanta City Council member representing Post 3 At Large, meaning that he represents all of Atlanta. He was first elected in 2013.
3. Kirsten Dunn — Kirsten is a real estate investor and an optician who is new to politics.
4. Nolan English — Nolan does not have a website and did not respond when Branch tried to get in touch with him.
5. Sharon Gay — Sharon is an attorney based in Inman Park. She previously worked for Mayor Bill Campbell in the mid 1990s.
6. Mark Hammad — Mark is an Atlantan born and raised, who branded himself as a political outsider.
7. Kenny Hill — Kenny worked for Home Depot for 30 years. He ran for city council in 2017 but did not win.
8. Rebecca King — Rebecca is a catastrophe adjuster working in the insurance industry. She previously lobbied Congress for fraternities and sororities, and she ran for city council in 2017 but did not win.
9. Felicia Moore — Felicia is currently Atlanta City Council President, who runs city council but only votes as a tiebreaker. She was first elected in 2017, but before this she was the Atlanta city council member representing District 9 for 20 years.
10. Kasim Reed — Kasim used to be mayor of Atlanta, from 2010 until 2018. Before this, he was a Georgia General Assembly member for eleven years.
11. Walter Reeves — Walter does not have a website and did not complete Branch’s questionnaire.
12. Roosevelt Searles — Roosevelt described himself as “a serial entrepreneur” who was previously homeless
13. Richard Wright — Richard is an accountant based in Atlantic Station.
14. Glenn S. Wrightson—Glenn is a consultant for city government who’s lived in Atlanta since the 1960’s.

This is just a preview of each candidate. To learn more about each candidate and compare where they stand on key issues, visit www.branch.vote.

How you can get involved

The election for Atlanta Mayor will be held on November 2, 2021. Your vote in this election will have a big impact, since this office is so important.

Branch is a free, nonpartisan website that walks you through who’s on your ballot and what they believe. You can find information on how to vote along with more info about the candidates’ positions on key issues at www.branch.vote/ATL

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.