Five candidates compete for city council seat

The race for the vacant Atlanta City Council Seat 3 is over with five qualified candidates vying for the position.

Position 3 opened in March 2024 when incumbent City Councilwoman Keisha Waites resigned, as required by law, to run for clerk of the Fulton County Superior and Magistrate Courts. On Thursday, the Atlanta City Hall named qualified candidates to run in the special election.

It’s a nonpartisan, majority seat, so candidates will have to win over voters across the city rather than just specific neighborhoods and districts. It also means anyone in the city can vote for the new councilman.

Whoever wins the election will only serve the remainder of Waite’s four-year term, which ends in December 2025. The regular election for the seat will be held in November 2025.

Here’s what you need to know about the candidates ahead of the Nov. 5 election:

Dr. Nicole Evans Jones

On June 25, 2024, Jones announced that she was the first candidate to qualify for the race. A lifelong Atlanta resident, she holds a bachelor’s degree from Howard University and a master’s and doctoral degree in educational leadership from Clark Atlanta University.

Jones is co-founder of Wellth House and owner of 360 Strategy Consulting. She also hosts “TownhouseTalks” on Instagram Live, where she shares weekly “heart-to-hearts” from home.

Jones is also no stranger to the public. Jones was a frequent presence at Atlanta public events when he was dating current Mayor Andre Dickens, though the two have since split.

Few details are available about his campaign platform, but Jones said on his website that it is a “call to action for those who share a vision of progress, inclusion and empowerment” with an emphasis on quality education and community empowerment.

More information about the campaign is available on its website.

Devin Barrington-Ward

Another political figure in the running is Devin Barrington-Ward, currently the executive director of the Black Futurists Group. Ward previously worked as chief of staff for the Georgia Senate and General Assembly, as well as a staffer and communications director for various campaigns. Ward has also served as a health equity researcher at the National Coalition of STD Directors and as a project coordinator for the State of Young Gay America Summit.

Ward has already secured the endorsement of the Atlanta chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. The local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has endorsed the candidate because he is a “vocal opponent of Cop City and an advocate for Palestinian liberation.”

As a gay, black man of Caribbean descent with experience working with homeless youth, Ward’s campaign priorities include housing access, climate change and policing alternatives. He has promised to promote affordable housing and workforce development projects, push to reduce carbon emissions and ensure the city reallocates resources away from policing to violence prevention programs.

“At the forefront of my agenda is the fight against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, colloquially known as ‘Cop City,’” Ward said on his campaign website. “I recognize the environmental injustice and racial disparities inherent in its construction and am committed to stopping its construction.”

Campaign updates are available on its social media channels.

Duvwon Robinson

Duvwon Robinson has run in several Atlanta elections in recent years. Most recently, Robinson ran for Fulton County Tax Commissioner against Arthur Ferdinand in early 2024. He lost in the May 21 Democratic primary.

Robinson also ran for Atlanta City Council in 2017 and for Fulton County Superior Court clerk in 2016, but has yet to win election.

He is best known for his frequent appearance in the public comment section of Atlanta City Council meetings, where he made fiery comments about transportation and the treatment of employees at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport that escalated in January. Former airport deputy director Jai Ferrell filed a temporary restraining order against him.

Although Robinson has qualified for the race, he has yet to update his social media or campaign website to reflect the new campaign.

Amber Connor

Amber Connor, a local landscaping company owner, has not shared any public information about her campaign for Atlanta City Council. She has maintained a social media presence over the years as an outspoken Republican activist and “concerned citizen” focused on corruption and the justice system.

She does not have a campaign website or social media at this time.

Eshand Collins

Eshé Collins has served on the Atlanta Board of Education since her election in 2013 and re-elections in 2017 and 2021. Originally from Atlanta, she previously served as board president and currently represents District 6.

The civil rights attorney and former Atlanta Public Schools teacher will not leave her board seat to campaign. Her term is set to expire in November 2025. Collins has said she would only give up the position if she wins the board race.

Collins also serves as director of the Southern Education Foundation’s Equity Assistance Center-South, which provides assistance and training to public school districts in 11 states and the District of Columbia. The foundation aims to address disparities and inequities in education systems.

The school trustee focuses on affordable housing, government accountability, efficient city services and safe neighborhoods. More details about her campaign will be posted on her official website.

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