They are largely going under the radar but the elections this fall potentially represent a big shift in Atlanta. There are a lot of issues at play, notably housing and transportation among others that Atlanta residents are paying attention to. Just ahead of voting starting, the Committee for a Better Atlanta (CBA) has released its candidate scorecard, spotlighting the mayor, city council and city council races.
CBA was founded in 1996 as a nonpartisan business and civic coalition to encourage a healthy business environment advocating for “a common business and civic agenda.” Nearly all of the 44 candidates for these races responded to the CBA scorecard, including both candidates for City Council President, the highest profile race on the ballot since the Dickens fended off any strong challengers from even entering the race.
“It’s important Atlanta voters have a comprehensive voter guide to make informed choices about the next leaders of the City of Atlanta,” said Tiffany Callaway Ferrell, CBA’s Co-Chair and Vice President, Operations, Atlanta Gas Light. “As business and civic leaders, our role is not to endorse, but to offer voters a thorough evaluation of the candidate’s qualifications and understanding of Atlanta’s top issues.”
Notably, the CBA gave Mayor Dickens an “A” ranking. Current City Councilwoman Marci Collier Overstreet, running for City Council President, also received an “A,” while her opponent Rohit Malholtra received a “B” rating. All the questionaire’s are publicly available, with spotlights on each candidate and scores for a range of categories, including Strong Governance and Leadership, Inclusive Economic Growth and Safe and Thriving Neighborhoods among others. The level of depth is pretty impressive, one is unlikely to see this level of detail and background for even congressional races since those are so often decided before the vote is cast thanks to gerrymandering.
“Transparency is at the heart of Committee for a Better Atlanta’s work,” said Jordan Dawson, CBA’s Co-Chair and Head of Global Government Relations and Community Affairs, NCR Atleos. “Our goal is that voters utilize our scorecard as they prepare to vote for Atlanta’s next leaders.”
CBA also has a fairly detailed platform that is meant to help guide policy in the city, focused on four key areas, areas that just so happen to mostly match the candidate questionnaire categories mentioned above, with the addition of a “Sustainable and Connected City.”
“Large events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 NFL Super Bowl will offer Atlanta opportunities to shine on the world stage – inflection points to create a lasting legacy: not an Atlanta for some, but an Atlanta for all,” said the CBA. “A truly world-class city that delivers on the “big” by prioritizing the “small,” from core services and affordable housing to greater pathways for entrepreneurship and equitable, well-maintained neighborhoods.”
