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Georgia’s most diverse county will soon have its first black mayor

Norcross native and longtime city councilman Craig Newton will be uncontested in the city’s November mayoral election. It is believed he will become the first black mayor of any Gwinnett County city. (Photo courtesy of Craig Newton)
Norcross native and longtime city councilman Craig Newton will be uncontested in the city’s November mayoral election. It is believed he will become the first black mayor of any Gwinnett County city. (Photo courtesy of Craig Newton)
By
Aug 31, 2017

Local political observers don’t believe any city in Gwinnett County — the most diverse community in Georgia, if not the entire Southeastern United States — has ever had a black mayor.

But that’s almost certain to change. And soon.

MORE: The candidates for Gwinnett's 2017 city elections

Craig Newton, a Norcross native and longtime city councilman, was the only candidate to qualify last month for his hometown's mayoral seat. And his eventual swearing in will be a symbolic but significant milestone for one of the Southeast's most diverse counties that has, nevertheless, had a historical dearth of non-white government leadership.

Read more about who Newton is — and about Gwinnett’s history of lacking non-white representation — at myAJC.com.

In other Gwinnett news:

Investigators said they found the drugs in a small apartment.

About the Author

Before taking over the AJC's Sports Daily newsletter, Tyler Estep spent two years writing the A.M. ATL newsletter. A Gwinnett County native and University of Georgia graduate, he has been with the AJC since 2015 and previously worked as a reporter on the breaking news, hyperlocal and local government teams.

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