Connie Stokes enters race for DeKalb CEO
Former DeKalb County Commissioner and state senator Connie Stokes is running for DeKalb CEO.
Stokes announced her candidacy Friday for the race to lead DeKalb, which includes 722,000 residents and more than 6,000 employees.
“DeKalb County is on a collision course of crime and corruption, and this must change,” Stokes said in her announcement.
Stokes said she would work to reduce crime and decrease unemployment if elected.
Stokes was the Democratic Party’s nominee for Georgia lieutenant governor in 2014.
She’s the highest profile candidate to announce her candidacy for the seat currently held by Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May, who is weighing a run for a full four-year term.
Earlier this week, former DeKalb Superintendent Michael Thurmond said he is considering running for CEO.
Calvin Sims, a former MARTA employee who previously ran in commission and CEO elections, also said Friday he will enter the race.
The Democratic primary election will be held May 24.
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.
