Politics
Politics

Businessman Tommy Smith wins Forest Park council seat; mayor’s race heads to April 16 runoff

By Tammy Joyner
March 20, 2013

Former mayor pro tem Sparkle Adams will face local attorney David Lockhart in an April 16 runoff for mayor of Forest Park based on election results posted Tuesday night.

Voters were more decisive when it came to filling the Ward 1 seat vacated by Adams. Businessman Thomas “Tommy” Smith Jr. beat homemaker Kimberly James for the job. The special-called election was held to replace Mayor Corine Deyton who resigned last fall for health reasons.

About the Author

Tammy Joyner covers local government in Clayton, Fayette and Henry counties.

More Stories

Keep Reading

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene takes the stage during a rally for former President Donald Trump in Macon. (Ben Gray for the AJC 2024)

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC

Trump split with Marjorie Taylor Greene fueled by his inconsistencies

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's split with President Donald Trump is due in part to Trump's shifts on hot-button issues, while she remains ideologically consistent.

Affordability is now the defining fight in Georgia’s race for governor

While the rivals agree on the problem, they have drastically different ideas about the solution. Candidates for governor sketch out competing plans to bring costs down.

Georgia GOP’s new adviser echoed far-right themes online

Brad Barnes, a Republican activist recently tapped as a “special adviser” to Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon, has a history of xenophobic and hateful social media posts.

The Latest

Sun shines on the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Oct. 1, 2025. Both major parties agree that rising costs will be a big campaign issue but they disagree on how to tackle it. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Affordability is now the defining fight in Georgia’s race for governor

Trump split with Marjorie Taylor Greene fueled by his inconsistencies

Georgia GOP’s new adviser echoed far-right themes online

Featured

Tracy Woodard from InTown Cares (left) and Lauren Hopper from Mercy Care organization work with residents at the Copperton Street encampment in August 2024. (Miguel Martinez / AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez

‘Worst nightmares come true.’ Atlanta confronts shift in homelessness funding.

Trump’s overhaul threatens permanent housing for an estimated 600 Atlanta households and 170,000 people nationwide, advocates warn.

Microsoft’s newest AI ‘superfactory’ opens at sprawling Fayetteville campus

One of the largest data center campuses under construction in Georgia has its first operational tenant, and it’s one of the most recognizable names in technology.

Atlanta officials quietly rebrand city’s DEI office

The city of Atlanta office overseeing diversity, equity and inclusion is getting a rebrand amid assaults at the federal level on such initiatives.