When Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens secured the mayor’s office in 2021, he campaigned on lofty promises of cracking down on crime, boosting affordable housing and championing youth initiatives.
His messaging resonated with Atlanta voters, who backed him in a crowded mayoral race against two higher-profile competitors with more name recognition and political capital.
But four years later, after submitting qualifying paperwork Tuesday to the city clerk’s office — a requirement for candidates running for election in November — Dickens joined a long line of Atlanta mayors who have sought a second term.
“I’m all in for Atlanta, and I’m asking you to continue to put your faith in me,” he said on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday. “We built the foundation, and we have fulfilled our promises, and together, we’re continuing to keep those promises fulfilled.”
If reelected, it would be his final term as mayor.
When Dickens first took office, he worked quickly to address Atlanta’s high violent crime rate that spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city’s homicide numbers have dropped significantly since, and is outpacing other cities nationwide.
And despite the controversy over the city’s public safety training center, which some political pundits speculated would spur a more progressive candidate to run against him, a high-profile challenger has yet to emerge.
Dickens lack of competition hasn’t stifled his fundraising.
According to the mayor’s most recent campaign finance disclosure, he’s raised just under $4 million and has about $2.2 million cash on hand.
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
If elected for another four years, Dickens said he will make good on lofty goals he set for the city when he first took office. That list includes building or preserving 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030 and transitioning the city to 100% clean energy by 2035.
“This election isn’t just about another four years in office,” he said Tuesday. “It’s about building what Atlantans have always dreamed of and showing the world what happens when Atlantans fight together — because all eyes are on the city of Atlanta.”
But Dickens would face new challenges going into a second term. The city’s crumbling water system needs a complete overhaul, which officials have estimated could cost more than $1 billion. And with the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming next summer, the city is struggling to finish a backlog of infrastructure projects as well as reduce the city’s homeless population downtown.
And, as President Donald Trump’s administration strips crucial federal funding from cities, Dickens doesn’t have a strong relationship with the White House like he did when former President Joe Biden was in office.
“This new administration is not as favorable toward a lot of the programs that local communities are looking for,” he said. “So that means we got to look from within.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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