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Qualifying Begins This Week for South Fulton Special Election
Elections, Politics

Qualifying Begins This Week for South Fulton Special Election

Qualifying for South Fulton's Municipal Special Election for District 7 begins Wednesday, Aug. 17. The election is being held to fill the unexpired term of former Councilmember Mark Baker who resigned to run for U.S. Congress. Qualifying runs 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Friday, Aug. 19. Potential candidates should contact the City Clerk for qualification materials via phone, email or by visiting City Hall, 5440 Fulton Industrial Blvd.The qualifying fee is $830.28. Acceptable forms of payment are certified check, money order or credit card. Under Georgia law, a candidate may file a pauper's affidavit in lieu of paying the required fee. A qualifying petition and pauper's affidavit are required. Additional information is available on the city's website. Have news to share wit...
Early Voting Begins Today, Six Sites Available in South Fulton
Elections, Government, Politics, Statewide News

Early Voting Begins Today, Six Sites Available in South Fulton

Early voting in Georgia for the May 24 Primary Election begins today. 30 polling sites are available in Fulton County. Residents will be able to vote from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily, including weekend voting on Saturdays and Sundays. Early voting will end on Friday, May 20.During early voting, absentee ballot drop boxes will be available at seven early voting locations, including Wolf Creek Library. Drop boxes are located inside early voting locations and are only accessible during early voting hours.  Among the high profile contests on the ballot include races for Georgia governor and U.S. senate. Gov. Brian Kemp faces Stacey Abrams again, among others. And Sen. Raphael Warnock is hard at work to hold on to his new seat. Former South Fulton City Councilmember Mark Baker w...
Councilmember khalid Announces Bid for Mayor
Politics

Councilmember khalid Announces Bid for Mayor

District 6 Councilmember khalid kamau held a press conference today to announce his bid for Mayor of South Fulton. The election will take place November 2021. He said if elected Mayor, he would have the opportunity to set the agenda for the city. He told the group gathered for the event that his goal is to improve the lives of Black people. "Black people deserve to be free from economic exploitation, environmental racism, from institutional forces that drive the disparities we see in our communities and everything from health to educational outcomes," he said. Councilmember khalid said the film Black Panther has inspired him to look at every tax dollar and every city policy and ask, "how does this improve the lives of Black people as a whole?" He remarked that South Fulton ...
Q&A: School Board Candidate Dr. Sandra Wright
Politics

Q&A: School Board Candidate Dr. Sandra Wright

South Fulton residents are set to vote for a new Fulton County school board member in District 4. Longtime board member Linda Bryant’s term is coming to an end, and she has decided not to seek reelection. Ahead of election day on June 9, we reached out to all three candidates to learn more about their vision for education in South Fulton. All responses were sent to us electronically and have not been edited or altered in any way. Meet Dr. Sandra Wright, a longtime Fulton County resident, professor, former Fulton County schools parent and author. Q1: What is your vision for education in the South Fulton community? A1: My vision for education in Fulton County and especially South Fulton County, School Board District 4, is envisioning educational programs, teachers, state of the...
Rashad Richey Joins Officials to Host Virtual Candidate Forums
Politics

Rashad Richey Joins Officials to Host Virtual Candidate Forums

Social distancing won't stop South Fulton voters from hearing from candidates before the June 9 election. Councilwomen Carmalitha Gumbs and Helen Z. Willis have partnered with the Cedar Grove Community Association to host a series of virtual candidate forums. WAOK's Dr. Rashad Richey will moderate the events. The first forum will be held on April 20 at 6:00 p.m. and feature candidates in the race for Fulton County Sheriff. Of the five candidates, three have confirmed. Voters can attend online via Zoom with the password COSFFORUM. They also have the option to call in at (929) 205-6099 using the meeting ID 972-8177-1101 and password 900921. Councilwoman Willis said it's important for voters to get to know the candidates that could potentially be making decisions that impact th...
Q&A: School Board Candidate Willie G. Davis
Politics

Q&A: School Board Candidate Willie G. Davis

South Fulton residents are set to vote for a new Fulton County school board member in District 4. Longtime board member Linda Bryant’s term is coming to an end, and she has decided not to seek reelection. Ahead of election day on June 9, we reached out to all three candidates to learn more about their vision for education in South Fulton. All responses were sent to us electronically and have not been edited or altered in any way. Meet Willie G. Davis, a longtime area attorney and Fulton County Schools parent with a 20-year history of serving on and leading local and state PTAs. Q1: What is your vision for education in the South Fulton community? A1: My vision for education in South Fulton is that every student that attends a Fulton County School, graduates on time and is fully...
Q&A: School Board Candidate Franchesca Warren
Politics

Q&A: School Board Candidate Franchesca Warren

South Fulton residents are set to vote for a new Fulton County school board member in District 4. Longtime board member Linda Bryant's term is coming to an end, and she has decided not to seek reelection. Ahead of election day on June 9, we reached out to all three candidates to learn more about their vision for education in South Fulton. All responses were sent to us electronically and have not been edited or altered in any way. Meet Franchesca Warren, a veteran educator, Fulton County Schools parent and founder of the fast-growing group South Fulton Parents for Education. Q1: What is your vision for education in the South Fulton community? A1: As a parent of four children who attend/ed Fulton County Schools, my vision for education for South Fulton is a thriving center of the ...
As May Election Approaches, South Fulton Residents Step up to Lead
Elections, Politics

As May Election Approaches, South Fulton Residents Step up to Lead

Editor's Note: Due to COVID-19 concerns, Election Day has been postponed to June 9. Early voting begins May 18.South Fulton residents will cast their ballots for candidates at the state and county levels on May 19 – and they’ll see a lot of familiar names on the ballot. Former Municipal Court Judges Make Political Statement The first two women to be appointed to Chief Municipal Court Judge in South Fulton, Tiffany Carter Sellers and Fani Willis, have both qualified to run for office in May. Willis is making a play for District Attorney Paul Howard’s seat following allegations of sexual harassment against him. Christian Wise Smith is also a challenger in the race. Sellers is making a bid for Atlanta Judicial Circuit Superior Court. She’s challenging Rachelle Carnesale, the fo...
Reeves Unseats Jackson in District 5 Race
Politics

Reeves Unseats Jackson in District 5 Race

For the second time, Corey Reeves went up against Rosie Jackson in the city of South Fulton District 5 councilmember race. This time he was victorious. Reeves and Jackson first went head-to-head in the city’s inaugural council race in 2017. He lost to Jackson in the runoff election by 39 votes. This time, Reeves secured a number of endorsements from political and community leaders, including State Representatives Derrick Jackson and Debra Bazemore. Heavy campaigning and wide support earned Reeves 607 votes over Jackson’s 414 votes. Reeves' election night party was attended by numerous elected officials, including newly sworn-in Fulton County Commissioner Joe Carn, Councilmember Helen Willis and School Board Member Kimberly Dove. Mayor William "Bill" Edwards was also among the...
South Fulton Residents Vote Yes to Three Incumbents, Two Ballot Questions
Politics

South Fulton Residents Vote Yes to Three Incumbents, Two Ballot Questions

In the South Fulton municipal election, three incumbents are celebrating definitive wins. Councilmember Catherine Foster Rowell and Councilmember Mark Baker both earned more than 80 percent of the vote. Helen Willis was unopposed. Rowell bested Mathis Colquitt with 1,271 votes to his 182. Baker recorded 876 votes compared to Eric Richardson’s 170. Willis banked all 853 of her district’s votes. "I am deeply humbled and want to thank each and every residents of District 1 who took the time to exercise the vote," said Councilwoman Rowell in a message to her social media followers. "Thanks for your overwhelming support, and trust in me to serve and help lead our city for the next four years. We still have much more work to do, but I’m up to the challenge and excited about what’s on th...

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