2025 Atlanta municipal elections: Who qualified for the ballot
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The field is set. Let the campaigns begin.
Why it matters: All seats at City Hall — mayor, City Council president and City Council — are on the ballot to keep the city running and think big picture about Atlanta's future.
Driving the news: Friday at 5pm was the qualifying deadline for residents who want to run for municipal posts in 2025.
Caveat: Atlanta municipal elections are nonpartisan. Candidates who fail to win the majority of the vote will face the second highest vote-getter three weeks later.
Mayor
An incumbent Atlanta mayor rarely faces formidable challenges when they run for a second term. The tradition holds this year as Mayor Andre Dickens seeks his final four years in office.
- Helmut Domagalski, Kalema Jackson and Eddie Andrew Meredith — all political newcomers — are the only three challengers running against the mayor.
Atlanta City Council
Atlanta City Council president
City Council member Marci Collier Overstreet, who represents southwest Atlanta, and nonprofit executive Rohit Malhotra are running to succeed incumbent President Doug Shipman.
- Shipman, who entered office in 2022, is not seeking reelection because of a family medical issue.
District 2
The dense and dynamic district that includes Midtown and Downtown has attracted nonprofit development director Alex Bevel Jones, labor organizer Kelsea Bond, engineer William Jacobs Chambers, community advocate Rod Mack, business owner Courtney Smith and James White III.
- Council member Amir Farokhi stepped down to lead the Galloway School.
District 3
Perrin Bostic, a community advocate, has qualified to appear on the ballot against Council member Byron Amos. The district includes Home Park, Vine Center Hill and other westside neighborhoods.
District 4
Atlanta City Council member Jason Dozier faces "Sister" DeBorah Williams, an evangelist and nonprofit leader who's previously run for the seat. The district's boundaries include West End, Mechanicsville and part of Downtown.
District 7
Howard Shook's decision to not seek reelection means a wide open field for the seat, which encompasses the eastern half of Buckhead.
- Candidates who are looking to replace the Council's longest serving member include Jamie Anne Christy, an attorney with a Midtown law firm; Allen Daly, who works in tech and cybersecurity; Thad Flowers, a public affairs specialist; consultant Rebecca King; and Thomas Worthy, chief public policy officer at Piedmont Healthcare.
Disclosure: Thomas Wheatley's wife works for Piedmont Healthcare. He will not participate in District 7 coverage.
District 9
Council member Dustin Hillis will defend his post representing a fast-growing district eyed for housing, trails and transportation against sales and marketing executive Charles Bourgeois.
District 11
Ten candidates showed interest in the open seat representing southwest Atlanta neighborhoods.
- They include: UX researcher Andre Burgin, Curt Collier, Stephen Dingle, Harold Maurice Hardnett, Toni Belin Ingram, attorney Nate Jester, Keith A. Lewis Jr., government affairs professional Wayne Martin, military veteran Reginald Rushin, and Sherry B. Williams.
Fun fact: Two of the past three Atlanta mayors lived in the district.
District 12
Incumbent City Council member Antonio Lewis will face Stephanie Flowers and Delvin Davis for a second term to represent far southeast Atlanta neighborhoods near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Post 1 At-Large
Council member Michael Julian Bond faces challenges from banking vice president Juan Mendoza and realtor Matthew Rinker for the citywide post.
Unopposed
Atlanta City Council members Matt Westmoreland (Post 2 At-Large), Eshé Collins (Post 3 At-Large) and Jason Winston (Grant Park) did not draw challengers.
- Also appearing solo on the November ballot: Liliana Bakhtiari (Reynoldstown), Alex Wan (Morningside), Mary Norwood (Buckhead) and Andrea Boone (Westview).