Fresh Loaf

I recently related the rumor that state Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, is considering a run for Atlanta City Council president, now that Lisa Borders is re-entering the mayor’s race. Well, yesterday I tracked Fort down at the Capitol and asked him if the rumor is true.

He was cagey about it – admittedly so – but I came away with the strong conclusion that he is indeed weighing a run for the position. He may ultimately decide against it, but for now I’d say he belongs firmly in the “possible” column – which was where Borders herself was until last week with regard to the mayor’s race.

“My heart’s always been with the city of Atlanta,” he said.

As a politician, Fort has always been a bit of an odd bird. Like former Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas and ex-Councilman Derrick Boazman, Fort has presented himself as a rabble-rouser who’s not above getting arrested in order to draw attention to some populist cause, such as his battle against the restructuring of the Grady board.

However, unlike Thomas and Boazman, Fort isn’t simply a professional protester. He can also be an effective lawmaker, such as when he successfully shepherded sweeping anti-predatory lending legislation through the General Assembly a few years back.

The Council president’s job isn’t an obvious fit for an outspoken social activist like Fort. It really seems better suited to someone who excells at process and mediation. But that could change.

(Photo by Andisheh Nouraee)

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Four weeks ago, Borders told us she was “reconsidering” a run for mayor. Well, sometime between then and now, she quit reconsidering and decided to jump back in. Maria Saporta reports on Borders’ turnabout in today’s Atlanta Business Chronicle and our own sources confirm that the Council president is indeed back in. A formal announcement is expected sometime next week.

Borders’ re-entry could up-end the mayor’s race – or maybe not. Before she pulled out last August for family reasons, Borders was routinely described as a front-runner, yet she’d raised a mere $300,000 during more than a year as a declared candidate. She’s now a good six months behind the current front-runners, Councilwoman Mary Norwood and state Sen. Kasim Reed, in terms of fund-raising and campaign events. Still, I’m told that a certain former top executive (of a company whose initials are GP) canceled a Norwood fund-raiser last week when he heard Borders was getting back in.

But the news will certainly affect the down-ticket city races. I’m waiting to hear back, but I understand Councilman Ceasar Mitchell has already dropped his bid for mayor and is shooting instead for the president’s seat. (He’s taken down his campaign website for retooling.) [UPDATE – Mitchell called back to say he isn't ready to reveal his plans just yet, but will make an announcement soon.] Councilwoman Clair Muller, who was aiming to retire from her Buckhead post after 20 years, has also expressed interest in the job. And we’ve heard that state Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, is likewise eyeing the position.

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