While Atlanta’s mayoral candidates continue to try and drag Mary Norwood off her lofty perch atop the polls, the race for the city’s second highest elected position has flown mostly under the radar. However that three-candidate race, like its mayoral counterpart, features some tight polling and a likely runoff as the candidates scramble for position with less than a month to go before the November 7th election day.
According to a poll released last week by Survey USA for 11Alive, City Councilwoman Felicia Moore leads the way with 33% of the vote, followed by fellow councilmembers C.T. Martin at 24% and Alex Wan with 19%. 24% of voters, a fairly large percentage this close to election day, remain undecided. If no candidate receives over 50% of the vote a runoff will be held on December 5th.
A longtime adversary of current Mayor Kasim Reed, Moore could be benefiting from running as a foil to the ongoing bribery scandal currently racking City Hall. 74% of voters surveyed indicated that the FBI’s investigation into corruption in Atlanta would play a role in determining which candidate to support. Her numbers are strong across the board, proving her relative popularity across the spectrum of local voters. Her favorability among white voters and Republicans is close to Wan’s, while with black voters and Democrats she is on par with Martin. Moore took in $56,366 in the latest fundraising period and boasts a healthy $118,000 in her warchest.
Martin, a long(long)time city councilman has finally decided the time is right to shoot for the top spot. The 80 year old is popular with Democrats and black voters, and is seen as Reed’s favored candidate. Recently in the headlines for bring robbed at gunpoint alongside a candidate running for his city council seat, it’s difficult though to see him emerging from a field with more… energetic candidates looking for a runoff sprint. He also lags in the fundraising battle compared to his peers, with $32,577 raised last cycle and $115,000 on hand.
Alex Wan is polling in third, but has reason to be optimistic as November 7th approaches. With an endorsement from the Buckhead Coalition and high favorability among that same demographic, he could benefit from a strong showing by Mary Norwood supporters come election day. Also worth noting – most of the undecided voters in the city council president’s race are white, which may also help Wan. The first Asian American and first openly gay man to serve on Atlanta City Council has been the hottest fundraiser of the three, bringing in $62,689 in the latest period and showing over $170,000 on hand.
