Reed gets big endorsement, Norwood fights for intown votes

By Ernie Suggs

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kasim Reed and Mary Norwood, in a runoff for mayor of Atlanta, both campaigned in intown neighborhoods Monday trying desperately to appeal to voters.

First, Reed appeared at 3 p.m. to announce the endorsement of Jim Martin. An hour later, Norwood and about two dozen of her supporters waved signs and campaigned on the busy intersection of Freedom Parkway and Boulevard.

She was less than a mile from where Reed was -- at Freedom at Ponce de Leon.

The two spots were significant.

Norwood was in the heart of City Council District 2, which has the second-largest number of registered voters -- 26,623 -- in the city, according to Fulton County election data. Norwood led all candidates with 42 percent of the vote there in last week’s election. Reed finished second there with 35.5 percent of the vote.

Reed was in the sixth district, which has 27,649 registered voters, more than any other part of Atlanta. The race for that council seat is in a runoff between Liz Coyle and Alex Wan. Norwood beat Reed in that district by a little more than 3,000.

Both districts are seen as swing areas in the Dec. 1 runoff.

"We will fight for these votes," Norwood said. "We had great support in District 6 in the general election.  [Voters] need to look at the work. Do they want a person they have known for 10 or 20 years or an election season politician?"

Down the block, Reed snagged the endorsement and secured the support of several seasoned politicians that he has known for years, including Martin, a former state representative and a recent democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.

"We need to make sure we have a mayor who will stand up for the neighborhoods and stand up for Atlanta," said Martin, flanked by Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) and state Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta).

Martin, who has lived in Atlanta since 1953, said the next mayor has to be someone who is concerned about and understands the complexities of water, development and crime.