State Senator Vincent Fort jumped into an already-crowded field in the race for Atlanta Mayor on Saturday, and he didn’t waste any time in stealing headlines away from his opponents, vowing Monday to decriminalize marijuana inside the city, (among other promises).
The longtime nemesis of current Mayor Kasim Reed looks to bring a dash of populism to the race, perhaps capturing some of that Bernie Sanders-esque spark that looks more and more appealing to a Democratic party still reeling from last Tuesday’s shocking defeat.
Fort raised the ire of Reed and other establishment Dems during the Primary this Summer when he switched his endorsement from Hillary Clinton to Sanders. The state Senate Minority Whip immediately became the most visible and vocal supporter of Sanders’ in the state, campaigning on his behalf before what would eventually be a lopsided victory for Clinton.
Fort’s entrance into the race seems at first glance to set up a two horse race between him and Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell, thought by many to be Reed’s heir-apparent. Mitchell comes from the same establishment-based background as the term-limited Reed, and looks to attract the support of many of Reed’s allies in the business community. Fort on the other hand would take the Sanders role to Mitchell’s Hillary, launching his campaign on the back of social issues, including the aforementioned marijuana decriminalization as well as help pay for education projects benefiting the city’s needy students. He said as much during his press conference Saturday when he officially announced his campaign.
“There are some, even some who want to be our mayor, who tell us everything is going in the right direction in Atlanta. And it might be for them. How long do we have to be neglected like this while the resources of government benefit the rich and the well off?”
However there are far more than two horses in this race. A host of other candidates including City Councilwomen Mary Norwood (who lost to Reed by less than 1,000 votes in 2009) and Keisha Bottoms, Ex-City COO Peter Aman, and Former City Councilwoman Cathy Woolard have all already announced, and City Councilman Kwanza Hall has long expressed his intention of joining the fray.
Mitchell with all his connections has already jumped out to a fundraising lead, but with the Presidential race behind us expect Atlanta’s eyes to turn their full focus to the field jostling for position to replace Reed next year.
