Fresh Loaf

Residents of Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown and West DeKalb neighborhoods who’ve been wondering when they’ll once again have a voice in the state House of Representatives can rest easy. (It’s OK, we’ve been nervous, too.)

Gov. Sonny Perdue today said that the special election to fill the District 58 House seat vacated earlier this year by Robbin Shipp will coincide with Atlanta’s municipal elections on Nov. 3. Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel is expected to announce the qualifying and early voting periods tomorrow.

Candidates who’ve announced their bids for Shipp’s former seat include attorney Asha Jackson, businessman Kevin Johnson and political consultant Michael McPherson.

Bookmark It

An East Atlanta community activist and businessman has joined the race to represent Cabbagetown, East Atlanta and west DeKalb in the state House of Representatives.

Kevin Johnson announced his House District 58 candidacy today, joining attorney Asha Jackson and lobbyist Michael McPherson in the race to fill the seat vacated by Robbin Shipp. In late April, she resigned halfway through her second term.

A special election has yet to be scheduled.

From a press release from the Johnson campaign:

Johnson, an East Atlanta resident, has extensive political experience. Most recently, his work on a state and federal level to reform unfair credit card practices has been praised locally and nationally. In May, his efforts led to legislation in the Credit CARD Act of 2009 (signed into law by President Obama), which addresses unethical consumer profiling in communities like East Atlanta. Furthermore, Johnson has worked on major political campaigns, including a congressional campaign and President Obama?s presidential campaign.

(more…)

Bookmark It

An Atlanta attorney has announced her candidacy to represent East Atlanta, Cabbagetown and West DeKalb neighborhoods in the state House.

Asha Jackson, an East Atlanta resident and partner at Atlanta firm Carlock, Copeland and Stair, is the second person to join the House District 58 race. Robbin Shipp, the district’s former representative, resigned last month.

“I’m extremely excited about this opportunity for our district,” Jackson said in a press release. “It’s an honor to be asked to run and follow up on the good work done by Rep. Shipp. There are a lot of challenges facing our neighborhoods – the need for better schools, more good jobs with good benefits, and more affordable healthcare – I know together we can make Fulton and DeKalb counties an even better place to live, work and raise our families.”

(more…)

Bookmark It

The vacant state House seat serving the Reynoldstown, Cabbagetown and West DeKalb neighborhoods has at least one name gunning for it — Cabbagetown resident Michael McPherson.

The 34-year-old candidate — Democrat, of course — serves on the Cabbagetown Initiative Community Development Corporation and Stacks/Fulton Cotton Mill HOA Advisory boards. He was a member of a recovery effort after the March 2008 tornado that slammed the neighborhood.

If elected, McPherson says he’d push for legislation to help community groups similar to those that assisted in the tornado recovery effort — especially those which aided senior citizens. He also says he’d analyze proposed tax breaks to ensure they don’t sap cities and counties’ abilities to fund public services.

He says in a press release: “I will weigh all the so-called tax relief initiatives against the effects they will produce, such as property tax breaks that produce nominal results for the individual, yet impact local governments so severely that services like Fire and Police are cut across the board.”

(more…)

Bookmark It