The 2017 Atlanta mayoral election occurred on November 7, 2017, with a runoff election held on December 5, 2017. Incumbent mayor Kasim Reed, a member of the Democratic Party who had been in office since 2010, was ineligible to run for reelection due to term limits.
A total of 14 candidates qualified for the November 7 non-partisan election. However, no candidate revived a majority, so a runoff was held between Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mary Norwood, the top two finishers, on December 5. On election night, unofficial results suggested that Keisha Lance Bottoms had narrowly won, but Norwood called for a recount.
The election was first certified on December 11, 2017, and had Bottoms winning by a margin of 823 votes. This margin was less than the 1 percent threshold needed to avoid a mandatory recount. The recount, which occurred on December 14, resulted in Norwood gaining five votes and Bottoms losing six in Fulton County, while the vote totals in DeKalb County remained the same. The election was re-certified on December 17 after Fulton County accepted the new results. Norwood officially conceded the race on December 21, and Lance Bottoms was inaugurated as the 60th mayor of Atlanta on January 2, 2018.
Candidates
Declared
Peter Aman, former Chief Operating Officer of Atlanta
Rohit Ammanamanchi, Georgia Institute of Technology graduate
Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta City Councilmember (District 11) John Eaves, Fulton County Chairman, District 7, At-Large Vincent Fort, Georgia State Senator Kwanza Hall, Atlanta City Councilmember (District 2) Laban King, co-founder of the real estate investment firm, Millennial Global Investments Ceasar Mitchell, Atlanta City Council President Mary Norwood, Atlanta City Councilmember (Post 2 At Large) and candidate for Mayor in 2009 Cathy Woolard, former Atlanta City Council President Glenn Wrightson
Failed to qualify
Alex Barrella, cartoonist
Dropped out
Al Bartell, Certified Mediator. Dropped out August 22, 2017. Margaret Kaiser, Georgia State Representative, District 59, 2007–2016. Dropped out October 25, 2016. Michael Sterling, former Executive Director of the City of Atlanta Workforce Development Agency. Dropped out October 24, 2017
