Qualifying begins next week for Atlanta mayor's race

Which candidate has the staying power in the race to replace Kasim Reed as Atlanta mayor could get more clarity next week as qualifying starts on Tuesday.

Eight major candidates and several minor office seekers must file notice of their candidacy and pay a roughly $5,500 qualifying fee to the city’s Municipal Clerk’s Office by 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Qualifying is traditionally seen as an unofficial kickoff of the campaign season because it's when candidates — especially those who already hold office and will have to relinquish their seats — decide whether they have the campaign infrastructure and the cash to stick with a long fall run.

Channel 2's Richard Belcher reports.

That's particularly important this go round as more candidates than usual are in the running in both the mayoral campaign and the run for Atlanta City Council, which has more than 40 hopefuls and at least 12 contested seats. At a candidate mayoral forum by the Urban Land Institute on Thursday, each of the 10 candidates who participated said they planned to qualify next week despite the large field.

The candidates for mayor are: Ceasar Mitchell, Atlanta City Council President; Kwanza Hall, Atlanta City Councilman; Mary Norwood, Atlanta City Councilwoman; Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta City Councilwoman; and Peter Aman, former Atlanta COO.

In addition, candidates include Cathy Woolard, former president of the Atlanta City Council; Michael Sterling, former director of the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency; State Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta; and John Eaves, Fulton County Commission Chairman.

Other candidates include perennial candidates Elbert “Al” Bartell, Kimberley Johnson Obasuyi, and Debra Ann Hampton and newcomers such as Rohit Ammanamanchi, Lisa Potash, Anthony Evans and Laban King.

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