UPDATE: Nov. 30 at 10:38 p.m. EST.
Veteran City Council member Andre Dickens has been elected as the next mayor of Atlanta in a big upset on Nov. 30, according to the New York Times. He defeated City Council President Felicia Moore in the runoff election.
Dickens will be taking over a city that has been rocked by violent crimes such as murder. Also, Atlanta had an uncertain political future when current Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced in May that she won’t be seeking reelection after one term in office.
She endorsed the 47-year-old chief development officer for a nonprofit organization called TechBridge.
As a result of Dickens’ victory, the runoff election continues a streak of Black mayors in the city of Atlanta since 1973, when Maynard Jackson was elected as the city’s first Black mayor.
In a runoff election following months of campaigning through a tight race, Atlanta voters will decide on Tuesday who will be their next mayor.
Two candidates, Andre Dickens and Felicia Moore, have been out meeting with community members and business owners. Voter turnout is a major focus point for them, with a 30% turnout in the primaries this month. According to ABC affiliate WBS-TV, Moore believes that since they had 41% of the votes during the primary election, they would need to bring those voters back to the polls.
RELATED: Felicia Moore, Andre Dickens To Face Off in Atlanta Runoff Election
Dickens tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he and his team have the edge this time around and he won’t be giving Moore “the north” in this fight.
Additional key factors for each campaign would be tackling the city’s most prominent issues such as Atlanta’s police chief search, crime, corruption, affordable housing and transportation.
As of Sunday, Dickens had the lead at 42% to 37%, with more than 20% of likely voters polled saying they were undecided according to WBS-TV.
Polls opens at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 30 for all city of Atlanta precincts.
(SOURCE) https://bnc.tv/andre-dickens-wins-atlanta-mayoral-race/
