Atlanta mayoral candidates readied their closing arguments with the escalation of an ad blitz over the weekend that offer a window into their last-push strategies.
Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms, one of the leading candidates in the Nov. 7 campaign, aired a TV spot featuring about a dozen unnamed voters - and one very recognizable one - blessing her campaign.
"Keisha will continue the progress," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who recently endorsed her. The end of the shot zeroed in on the two walking with her in an office.
More: Across Atlanta, shared concerns - and vivid splits - over mayor’s race
Next we come to Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell, who on Thursday launched his TV ad campaign that touches on the unfolding bribery scandal in City Hall. The key passage:
“Hope cannot live in a city where corruption runs free. You and I know what a mayor needs to do. I’ll put more cops on the beat, where they belong. And I’ll sweep out the corruption we know is there in City Hall.”
Former Atlanta chief operating officer Peter Aman rolled out a trio of ads, including one called "Crossroads" that focuses on his favorite campaign message: That he's the best qualified to handle the $14 billion in public infrastructure spending that could be headed Atlanta's way over the next eight years.
And then there was City Councilwoman Mary Norwood, who is leading the polls but newly-challenged by Bottoms and other contenders. She highlighted her knack for pounding the pavement.
"When you're everywhere in Atlanta, it can wear you down. But not Mary Norwood: She just keeps on going," intones the narrator.
"I just need a pair of shoes that can keep up," Norwood said at the end of the ad, which featured her trading out no fewer than three pairs of heels.
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