Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell on Tuesday declared that Mary Norwood, “at this moment in time, is the best person to lead this city.”

“This is not a decision I made lightly, as a black man,” Mitchell said. “Let’s be real about this. It’s not a decision I made lightly as a Democrat.”

Mayor Kasim Reed, who endorsed Norwood’s opponent, Keisha Lance Bottoms, said he’s “totally unsurprised” and that Norwood and Mitchel were “one man, one woman, two losers.”

Mitchell said he was troubled by rehtoric coming out of the mayor’s office, calling it wasdivisive and demeaning. He said it “would ultimately lead to the disintigration of our community.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

Constituent Services Director Vesna Kurspahic helps a student with his service academy application at U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick’s office in Cumming, Ga., on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. Kurspahic is constituent services director for Congressman Rich McCormick. During the government shutdown, she is handling a caseload of roughly 250 requests without receiving any salary. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com

Featured

Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com