Unfinished business: Looking at the Dec. 1 runoffs
November 9, 2009 at 2:43 pm by Scott Henry in NewsOn Dec. 1, an abysmally small percentage of Atlanta voters will return to the polls for the city runoffs:
Reed celebrates on election night
MAYOR
As the city saw on Nov. 3, Kasim Reed’s an expert finisher who passed Lisa Borders heading into the home stretch and now carries that momentum into the runoff.
But it won’t be easy to beat Mary Norwood, whose supporters hail from all corners of the city and arguably are more enthusiastic than Reed’s, and thus more likely to flock to the polls on Dec. 1. Last week’s results also confirmed previous polls that suggest Norwood seems to have a lock on north Atlanta’s white vote, which may convince the Reed campaign to try to peel away her strong support among black voters. If Reed decides to employ racial politics, the race could turn ugly and divisive.
“Reed has to increase his black voters, but it would be to his detriment to make an overt racial appeal,” says Emory political science professor Michael Owens. ” I suspect you’ll see his surrogates and supporters do that for him.”
Reed could also try to reverse the public perception of Norwood as an outsider and agent of change, despite the fact that she’s the one who’s served on the City Council for the past eight years.
Even though the mayor’s race is non-partisan, the state Democratic party sent out mailers attacking Norwood as a closet Republican, and some pundits now expect the national party to get involved as well.
Whatever happens in the next few weeks, the mayor’s race will be difficult to ignore.
COUNCIL PRESIDENT
With a hotly contested mayor’s race sucking all the oxygen out of the room, don’t expect to hear too much about the battle for council president. For starters, that race is between two Council colleagues who’ve so far kept things cordial. Also, neither candidate is likely to be able to afford to air TV ads.
Representing North Atlanta for 20 years, Clair Muller has earned a reputation for her knowledge of Atlanta’s infrastructure. Caesar Mitchell, who lives in the West End and practices law in Buckhead, has become a voice for promoting the city’s nightlife.
Mitchell, who nearly won the general election outright, has an edge in having run city-wide twice before, and is arguably the more energetic campaigner. Muller could be helped by an expected higher turnout on the north side of town, but is waging an uphill battle.
Both candidates, however, are fighting general voter apathy and widespread confusion about what it is the council president actually does. There may not be an antidote for that.
POST 2 AT-LARGE
Aside from race and age, very little separates veteran civic leader Aaron Watson and progressive wunderkind Amir Farokhi. They both promise to push for smart growth. They both envision a green and sustainable Atlanta connected by transit. Hell, they both are cyclists who went to Duke Law. But on Dec. 1, voters will have to choose one of the two to fill the Post 2 At-Large seat.
When polls closed on Nov. 3, Watson narrowly edged out Farokhi in the citywide contest. Because both the mayoral and city council president races are also on the ballot, the candidates will be able to rely on a decent turnout. But they’ll still have to gain name recognition and remind voters to return to the polls.
Farokhi has a solid support network among young people and urban pioneers. And according to his most recent disclosure report, he’s got approximately $25,000 left in his war chest. Watson, who edged out Farokhi in some politically active neighborhoods, is familiar to voters who saw him help lead the Atlanta Public Schools board out of a downward spiral. But he’s also out of cash, so he’ll have to raise funds and rally support at the same time.
DISTRICT 6
The district that includes Candler Park, Morningside and Midtown is well known for its election time surprises. That didn’t change this year, as six candidates battled to replace retiring and unbeloved incumbent Anne Fauver.
Thanks to additional support from Druid Hills voters, longtime community activist Liz Coyle elbowed Morningside resident Tad Christian out of a Dec. 1 runoff with Alex Wan.
Both candidates have solid bases of support. Coyle, who’s served on every community and city board or committee imaginable, is well known among politically active neighbors. The openly gay Wan boasts strong support in the district’s LGBT community.
But that might not be enough to catapult either candidate into City Hall. Henry Carey, an associate political science professor at Georgia State University, says Wan will have to boost his gay community base with voters who might be more familiar with Coyle. He has an advantage, however: According to the most recent disclosure reports, Wan’s sitting on roughly $38,000 in available cash compared to Coyle’s $8,700.
And while the main issues on district voters’ minds are taxes and public safety, GSU professor Harvey Newman says politically active residents might push candidates on their thoughts about density along the Beltline. Project planners’ proposed vision for 10th Street and Monroe Drive has divided some nearby residents.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
November 9th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
i couldn’t pick cesar mitchell out of a lineup but if he’s “a voice for promoting the city’s nightlife”, he has my vote.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
What does that mean, anyway? Does he just say he likes clubs?
November 9th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
If the national Democratic Party gets involved and Norwood wins, it will be a crushing blow to the Obama administration. New Jersey and Virginia might be excused away, but not Norwood.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I think you may be over-reaching there “big picture.” While I agree with you, I don’t think the Mayor of a city with just over 500,000 people will have much impact outside of this region. I understand that our reputation makes us seem larger than we are… but I still think we come across as a small fish when looked at in pure numbers.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
You may be right, nadia, but look at all the attention New York’s 23rd Congressional district got in the run up to the elections last week. And that district’s population is only a bit over 600,000- not much bigger than Atlanta’s. A Reed loss could indicate the return of the Contract on America crowd. If the DNC gets involved in this one, they better play to win, consequences be damned.
November 9th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
How about we just get Reed elected, so we won’t embarrass the national party by electing a Republican to be the mayor of Atlanta. It kills me that so many intown, liberal, Democrats are voting for Norwood. Makes me go hmmmm…
November 9th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Liz Coyle has a lot of explaining to do in District 6. She’s been on the Beltline Board since the beginning. And since she has been on it, she has been selling the community down the river. She was supposed to be the “community representative” on the BeltLine Board, but fast became one of the smarmiest proponents of the establishment. Now, she even wants to cram a bunch of buildings on land near Piedmont Park, in direct violation of the past promises of the BeltLine. Why has she flip-flopped and become a pawn of the development community? Liz’s poor showing in the general election reflects that people are watching and are very disappointed with her.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
What motivated Big Picture to comment here? Big Picture’s only point about the mayoral race hinges on the national Democratic Party getting involved in Kasim Reed’s campaign. No discussion of local issues or interests, but instead the need to nationalize an election to fit a pundit’s desire to see everything in black or white, or better yet, red versus blue. How boring!
I thought Republicans were interested in less government, states’ rights, and local control. So why do so many so-called conservatives play the game of nationalizing elections. It runs counter to the very principles they espouse. It was Republicans, the grassroots conservatives or Tea Party movement who focused like a laser on the NY-23 race. Instead of allowing the chosen Republican to win the election, these people, led by Limbaugh, Beck, Palin and our own Erick Erickson, felt it was necessary to bring national politics into the race and do their best to eliminate a Republican candidate who rated as slightly right of center among her fellow Republicans in the state legislature. They lost that race but I have not heard anyone who was pro-Owens say it was a “crushing blow.” No, Republicans soldier on, picking up their fifth straight special election loss, yet they continue to nationalize what should be local races.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:16 am
@S. DeKalb Voter-
I want you to look at this statement very carefully, because it’s coming from someone with insight. Usually, we’ve read your comments over the course of this election and have respected nearly everything you’ve said. Could it be that you’re wrong this time?
Have you ever considered that Norwood is simply the best candidate? I receive many e-mails from leaders (or so-called liberal Demcorats) in communities like Ormewood, Venetian Hills, and throughout the NPUs stating that grassroots efforts and accessibility are valuable traits in a Mayor. Integrity, honesty, and compassion are neck and neck. Could it be that your choice is wrong? I know that you’re intelligent and have a lot to say. If you take your best elected official, and cut off their ears so that they are deaf to you, you tell me how effective they would be in hearing the issues and will of the people. What’s taking place here is that the people in Atlanta have decided they value what Mary Norwood offers more than your criteria.
No matter how many big signs, or extra big signs, or big signs next to big signs, or mailers, or people on the corners, they won’t sway the opinions of a previously unheard voter who are confident that Mary speaks for them and who values her accessibility.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Jay, mark my words, there will be no local issue that decides the Atlanta mayor’s race. Crime, pensions and city services are the only issues anyone should care about. Instead the DNC will cater to partisan politics and Norwood will pander to whatever the hell she thinks will work. We’re all doomed. And if Reed wins, the Obama agenda is toast.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:02 am
@Rochelle – Of course Mary’s campaign of seductive accessibility has worked with lots of not very serious people. It helps that she’s almost sincere when she does it. She’s also a feckless incompetent.
Accessibility does not keep the bills paid or the cops on the streets. Get serious – or prepare to leave town when the cold-eyed bond boys find Mary’s accessibility and silly hand-waving – “look, I’ve found another trivial accounting error so I still don’t have to balance the books, right?” – unconvincing and insufferable – and pull the plug. Sgt Kreher and his boys won’t work for Mary’s IOUs – Republican or not, she’s no Arnie Schwarzenegger.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Don’t trust either one of these two any further than you can throw them.
Reed weighs about 200?
Mary weighs about 100?
So based on this we can trust Mary twice as far as Reed.
November 10th, 2009 at 11:25 am
With whomever does win, I really hope that the city can pull together and unite behind that person. Does anyone else feel like our city is taking an emotional beating over this mayoral election with all of the racial overtones? We really need somebody to unite us. I suspect we will face more of this hostility in 2013 and 2017, as our city’s demographics shift. How me manage this and our maturity level will determine this city’s future.
November 10th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
As a life long Democrat, if chosing not to vote for another in a long line of machine polititans who practice nepotism in the Contract compliance office of all things, while everybody else in the machine gets an Airport concession license makes me a Republican, so be it.
I can only take so much of this thirty year old line of money wasting losers who only seem to come up with excuses and no real solutions.
Maynard went from two-term mayor to a municipal bond attorney, conflict of business? Andrew Young, one of our worts mayor’s ever hired his no-talent brother to run the zoo which after a short ill-fated tenure of dead animals and selling rabbits for food led to the zoo be turned over to more compentent hands.
Then we lost 20 million in the investment strip scandal that involved Maynard’s former campaign manager, nothing recovered.
Now we have Shirley and her “oops” we’re short 140 million friend CFO who just walks away .
The only one who makes any money is Beverly Hall who gets 400 million running a tiny school system.
Yeah I really care what the local DNC thinks, why don’t they just help the King family collect royalties.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
We all need Kasim to win! He gonna put all of us on in City Hall. Just like dat man Billy Cambbppell.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Rochelle,
I think Mary is excellent with grassroots and constituents services. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing her run the constituent services dept at the city. However, I don’t want her negotiating deals with Delta or any other major business player in the region. I don’t want her deciding how to deal with the pension crisis she helped create. And I don’t want her to be our ambassador to the rest of the world, be it civics, business or political.
She’s run a good campaign and may very well win, but it will be a huge mistake to elect someone just because she does things like call you back when your trash isn’t picked up.
@ Ed, Did you vote for Sam Massell or Ivan Allen? What do you thik about their time in office?
November 10th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
sorry fools, this race has nothing to do with national democratic party politics, as much as “pundits” would like u to believe otherwise.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Well I’m glad you have it all figured out, Big Picture. So the DNC is going to swoop in and do their best to defeat a candidate in a nonpartisan election who says she voted for Obama and is not a Republican?
Your logic and predictions are asinine.
“And if Reed wins, the Obama agenda is toast.”
WTF!? So you’re saying that if the DNC comes in, supports Reed, and Reed wins then Obama’s agenda is toast?
Please stick to your talk radio and cable news shows, where no intelligence is required.