Athens elects its first Black mayor, who defeats Democratic Socialist
ATHENS — Dexter Fisher won the mayoral runoff here Tuesday after campaigning as the more moderate choice in a city grappling with growth, housing affordability and homelessness.
Fisher, an Athens-Clarke County commissioner with long ties to the University of Georgia, in January will become the first Black mayor in Athens history after winning 53% of the vote.
He defeated former county commissioner Tim Denson, a member of Democratic Socialists of America, which advocates for socialist policies including tuition-free higher education.
Fisher struck a collaborative tone after a hard-fought campaign often defined by competing visions for the future of a city that leans more left politically than surrounding areas.
“I would hope you would want to unite with me, to move our community forward,” Fisher said in his victory speech late Tuesday.
“I’m your mayor, for everybody.”
He also reflected on the deeper meaning of the moment.
“Little boys and little girls that look like me, they can achieve the same thing now,” Fisher told supporters. “We dreamed the impossible dream. I am the American dream.”
Fisher, 67, will succeed Mayor Kelly Girtz, who was term-limited after serving since 2019.
A county commissioner since 2023, Fisher will take office after several turbulent years in Athens.
The brutal 2024 murder of nursing student Laken Riley on UGA’s campus thrust Athens into the national spotlight and intensified debates over public safety and immigration. Residents have voiced growing concerns about housing affordability and homelessness. The city also has grappled with “town versus gown” tensions as Georgia’s flagship university continues to shape much of its economy and identity.
The campaign to head the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government intensified after Fisher and Denson advanced to a runoff. Denson finished first in last month’s initial election but fell short of 50% of the votes.
Supporters of Denson, who previously ran for mayor in 2014, said Fisher represented continuity with a city government that has not gone far enough on issues such as housing affordability.
Those in Fisher’s corner said Denson’s approach was too polarizing to build coalitions across political lines.
In his concession speech Tuesday night, Denson acknowledged that his activism became a focal point during the campaign. He said he will remain an activist and continue advocating from outside City Hall.
“We should all be proud that we have just elected the first Black mayor in Athens-Clarke County,” Denson said. “I’m excited for Dexter Fisher to see what he can do, and I will be the first in line to that podium holding him accountable to make sure he’s doing what he needs to do.”
During the campaign, Fisher presented himself as a consensus-builder focused on collaboration over partisanship. Tuesday night, he said rebuilding trust through transparency and engagement would be among his top priorities.
Fisher spent three decades in UGA’s facilities management division and later worked for the Clarke County School District.
Fisher said he met with UGA President Jere Morehead earlier this week.
“It’s the elephant in the room,” Fisher said. “I mean, there would be no Athens without the University of Georgia. We’ve got to make sure we work together. We may not always agree, but let’s move together.”