The numbers are still trickling out, but an early analysis of recently-released voting data by a veteran Democratic analyst found that white voters outnumbered black voters in last week's Atlanta mayoral election.
The analysis by Chris Huttman found that about 49 percent of the nearly 100,000 voters were white and 46 percent were black. The data didn't include a sliver of DeKalb County, a majority-white territory that he said could push the vote total of white residents to 50 percent.
Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms led the first round of voting with about 26 percent of the vote, followed by Councilwoman Mary Norwood with 21 percent. Six other contenders split the remaining 53 percent of the electorate.
The Dec. 5 runoff between Bottoms and Norwood is attracting national attention because of the possibility that Atlanta could elect its first white mayor in 44 years.
Norwood, who is white, has been besieged with attacks painting her as a “closet Republican.” Her supporters depict Bottoms as too cozy with Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who endorsed her campaign.
Huttman’s analysis also found turnout among likely white voters was about 5 percent higher than turnout among likely black voters, which could have helped account for Cathy Woolard's strong third-place finish. She picked up 17 percent of the vote, dominating a sweep of majority-white east Atlanta precincts.
Keep reading: How every neighborhood in Atlanta voted
Check out his analysis:
And here is a closer look at his analysis of the turnout figures:
Black:
Likely D, Likely to Turnout = 66,734 total and turnout was 47%
Likely D, Less likely to turnout = 73,579 total and turnout was 9%
White:
Likely D, Likely to Turnout = 40,368 total and turnout was 52%
Likely D, Less likely to turnout = 38,742 total and turnout was 14%
Likely R, Likely to turnout = 22,077 total and turnout was 56%
Likely R, less likely to turnout = 13,018 total and turnout was 14%
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