For most voters across Georgia, November 7 this year was just a very warm November day. But in a handful of cities, voters went to the polls to decide who would be their next mayor.
As is usual, incumbents had a big day. Name ID or recognition always plays a big part in elections and in these local elections like Georgia had Tuesday, getting a new name out there can be a tall task for a new candidate. News coverage is limited and raising money for a local school board seat or city council raise is difficult. Even the cost of the ubiquitous yard sign can be a challenging expense for some candidates.
In Savannah, after some rumblings that incumbent Mayor Van Johnson might face a real challenge from At-Large Alderwoman Kesha Gibson-Carter, Johnson ended up winning by almost 60 percent, getting nearly 80 percent to Gibson-Carter’s 20. Notably, in Georgia’s fifth largest city with a population of almost 150,000, Johnson’s final vote total will likely not get to 18,000.
In Brookhaven, incumbent Mayor John Ernst was term limited and H.J. “John” Park won fairly handily in a four-way race for the open seat. Park is a former city councilmember and works at the CDC. He grew up in Decatur but moved with his family to Brookhaven in 2007 (though technically the city didn’t exist at the time). Next door in Doraville, the incumbent Mayor Joseph Geierman won by more than 60 percent.
In Austell, incumbent Mayor Ollie Clemons similarly cruised to re-election 74 percent to challenger Chris Djonis’ 26 percent. In Smyrna, the race was closer for incumbent Derek Norton against challenger Ken Hymes but Norton still managed to win a second term by 12 percent.
Barrow County voters did overwhelmingly approve a transportation SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax). Sandwiched at the northeast edges of metro Atlanta and the quickly growing Athens-Clarke region, Barrow voters are facing traffic from both sides. The county has seen its population nearly triple since 1990, with population growing exceeding 50 percent from 1990-2000 and 2000-2010. There was a slight slowdown in the last Census decade, with only 20 percent growth. Voters may be hoping for any strategy to help cope with the increased traffic.
SPLOSTs often find success on the ballot – it’s hard to say no to traffic improvements or school buildings, plus it’s only a penny! The DeKalb County SPLOST passed by more than 50 percent, 76-24 percent. Fannin County Education SPLOST? 73 percent – 27 percent. Gordon County SPLOST? 72 percent – 28 percent.
A handful of other results were not available by press time but stay tuned for further results in the next few weeks.
