The stage is set for November to be an important time of the year here in Atlanta.
In addition to a highly contested presidential election looming between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump — in which Georgia will likely play a pivotal role — there are upcoming contests between public officials on the state and local levels that will have major implications.
One of those races is a special election taking place on Nov. 5 for the Atlanta City Council Post 3 citywide seat. The election will backfill the role after former council member Keisha Sean Waites resigned in March to run an unsuccessful campaign for Fulton County clerk.
Five Atlantans have thrown their names into the ring to vie for the seat that will impact policy and legislation for nearly 500,000 residents who call Atlanta home. The candidates are Devin Barrington-Ward, Eshé Collins, Amber Connor, Nicole Evans Jones, and Duvwon Robinson.
Though the next elected official will only serve a little over a year — through the remainder of Waites’ four-year term — there is one candidate who will leave behind a vacancy of her own if elected.
Collins, who is a lawyer and former Atlanta Public Schools teacher, will have to vacate her seat on the Atlanta Board of Education if elected, according to APS communications director Seth Coleman. Collins has served as APS District 6 board member since 2013, winning reelection in 2017 and 2021.
“An individual cannot serve on the Atlanta Board of Education and the Atlanta City Council, simultaneously,” Coleman said.
So, what does it mean when a Board of Education member runs for another public office?
Capital B Atlanta broke down the policy around the public office crossover, and what a potential win for Collins could mean for the school district.
Here’s what you need to know.
So, does Eshe’ Collins have to abdicate her seat to campaign for Post 3?
Not necessarily.
According to APS policy, Collins is able to campaign for another public office while currently serving as an APS board member.
She will only have to resign if she is elected, which is a qualification to serve on the board.
If she wins, what happens to her school board seat?
There are two possible solutions.
The remaining board members can either appoint an eligible citizen who meets the local board election criteria or host a special election — similar to the City Council Post 3 election — depending on the length of time left on Collins’ term.
Previously, all board members served four-year terms and were elected in the same year. However, in 2020, thanks to a change in election law, school board elections are now staggered. As a result, last November, Atlanta residents voted for board seats 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 after officials had served just two years, while representatives for board seats 2, 4, 6, and 8 held terms of four years.
The seat currently held by Collins, who represents District 6, will be due for reelection at the end of her term on Dec. 31, 2025. Going forward, school board elections will now occur every two years, in which residents vote to elect officials to serve four-year terms.
Has APS appointed someone to fill a board vacancy in recent years? How does the district pick a candidate?
Yes. Prior to being elected in November 2023, Seat 9 At-Large board member Jessica Johnson was originally an appointment to the citywide seat, in January of that same year, after former board member Jason Esteves became a state senator.
The process for applying for appointments is open to interested candidates who are at least 18 years of age, live in the identified APS district, are a qualified elector of the city of Atlanta, and are not employees of Georgia’s Department of Education.
From there, the district will host a series of mandatory informational sessions where candidates will learn more about the application process. Application materials include a resume, statement of interest, and a completed commitment checklist and questionnaire that is given during the informational meetings.
