The special election to decide the next state lawmaker from Georgia Senate district 35 is headed to a runoff. Democrats Jaha Howard — a dentist from Smyrna — and former state Rep. Roger Bruce, who retired from the state House earlier this year, were the top two vote recipients on election night in a field […]
Chauncey Alcorn
Chauncey Alcorn is Capital B Atlanta's state and local politics reporter.
Posted inGentrification, Housing, Politics & Policy
Mayor’s TAD Plan Sparks Gentrification Fears for Southwest Atlanta Activists
Atlanta community activists advocating on behalf of low-income Black families are raising gentrification concerns about Mayor Andre Dickens’ $5 billion neighborhood reinvestment initiative. The program calls for the extension of existing tax allocation districts (TADs) to help pay for revamping majority-Black neighborhoods on the city’s southwest side. TADs — also referred to as tax incremental […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
Scandal, Growth, and a Crossroads: What’s at Stake in South Fulton’s Election
Andrea Jones is tired of hearing about the controversies surrounding South Fulton Mayor khalid “Kobi” kamau. The 51-year-old Jones is an Atlanta native who moved to South Fulton in 2015 because of the area’s more affordable homes and proximity to her family. She and other residents who spoke with Capital B Atlanta this week suggested […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
PSC Elections: Why the DNC Raised $100,000 for the High-Stakes Race
High energy bills and data centers popping up in Black neighborhoods across Georgia may be on the minds of many voters this week as they cast ballots in two Public Service Commission races that could impact how much money millions of people pay for power for the foreseeable future. PSC Commissioners Tim Echols and Fitz […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, Voting
Voter Engagement Groups Stepping Up as New Georgia Project Shuts Down
The recently announced shuttering of the New Georgia Project — which has mobilized hundreds of thousands of voters across the state since former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams founded the group in 2013 — was disappointing, but not surprising to Black Voters Matter co-founder Cliff Albright. “We’ve known for some time that they’ve been headed in […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, Voting
Election 2025: What to Know Before You Head to the Polls
Voters head to the polls tomorrow for an election cycle that will decide the next mayor of Atlanta, four seats on Atlanta’s Board of Education, and two seats on the state’s impactful Public Service Commission. This fall’s contests will also decide all 15 seats on the Atlanta City Council, the next City Council president, and […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Government Shutdown Leaves Atlanta Federal Workers Feeling Like ‘Bargaining Chips’
Late mortgage payments. Car loan defaults. No child care. Dwindling savings. These are just a few of the issues that federal workers told Capital B Atlanta they will be facing as the federal government shutdown drags on. The suspension of pay and work disruption for many federal employees already has contributed to staffing shortages, longer […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, State Politics
Palestinian American Pitches Black Voters Progressive Plan in Georgia Governor’s Race
Story Update: Democratic state Rep. Ruwa Romman announced February 25 that she was dropping out of the race for governor and would instead pursue an open Gwinnett state Senate seat. With her recently announced run for governor, state Rep. Ruwa Romman, D-Duluth, hopes to start a progressive movement in Georgia that centers on economic issues […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Why This Black GOP Candidate Wants to Eliminate Automatic Voter Registration
Georgia secretary of state candidate Kelvin King has an unorthodox view of what it means to protect people’s voting rights, but it’s a perspective the Republican wants other Black Georgians to consider. GOP state officials, including current Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, have maintained that illegal voting isn’t a widespread problem in Georgia, citing multiple […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Why Georgia’s Black Republicans Say Their Numbers Are Growing
Lithonia native Nathaniel Williams doesn’t agree with everything Charlie Kirk has said online, but the self-described Black Republican recalled feeling “astonishment and sadness” on Sept. 10 when news of the conservative activist’s assassination went viral on social media. Kirk’s Turning Point USA nonprofit has recruited throngs of young people to the conservative cause since its […]