Candidate exits DeKalb race to open nonprofit
Motivated by recent shootings involving police officers, one of the candidates for a DeKalb County Commission seat has withdrawn from the race to open a nonprofit organization.
Jerome Edmondson, the CEO of a call center, said he wants to dedicate his time and resources toward mentoring young black men instead of running in the DeKalb Commission District 7 special election in November.
“My time is going to be better served in DeKalb County creating jobs and helping the next generation,” Edmondson said when he announced his withdrawal from the race at a July 14 forum hosted by the group Pride Rings In Stone Mountain (PRISM).
Edmondson said he and his wife will restart their nonprofit, Urban Hope Development Corporation.
There are still eight candidates in the race for the super district covering the eastern half of the county. They are Gregory Adams, Diane Daniels Adoma, George Chidi, Faye Coffield, Randal Mangham, Edward Patton, Rita Robinzine and John Tolbert Jr.
The special election will be held in November after Commissioner Stan Watson resigned in March in an unsuccessful campaign for DeKalb tax commissioner.
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
