Mary Norwood, who lost her bid for Atlanta mayor to Kasim Reed in a 2009 runoff election by roughly 700 votes, qualified to run for a City Council seat Friday.
Norwood is challenging Councilman Aaron Watson, a Reed ally, for the Post 2 At-Large position, igniting what otherwise might have been a ho-hum election into a race to watch. If successful, Norwood could be better positioned to make another run for the mayoral seat in 2017.
But public service — not political ambition — is what fuels her desire to return to City Hall, she said Friday.
“I can’t imagine running for mayor again,” she said. “It was a tremendous amount of effort, and it was a very, very long two years of my life.”
Norwood served two terms on the council, beginning in 2002. But the Buckhead resident rose to regional prominence four years ago during her contentious battle with Reed for the top job at City Hall.
Their race was marked by verbal sparring, with Reed accusing Norwood of accomplishing little during her time on the council, while Norwood labeled Reed a “political insider” and protege of former Mayor Shirley Franklin.
She led in the polls in the weeks leading up to the election, with many news outlets predicting she’d win — a victory that proved elusive by just 714 votes.
Four years later, Reed has risen from the underdog to a virtually unchallenged leader with national clout and $1.6 million in campaign cash, money he’ll all but certainly direct to races of his choosing, such as this.
Watson, first elected to city office four years ago, welcomed the competition and said he will campaign on his accomplishments with the council and Reed.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done in balancing the budget, restoring reserves and increasing the police force,” he said. “That’s what I’ve done and what I’m proud of and will run on.”
Watson is carrying at least $71,500 into what is now likely to become an expensive race, according to his most recent campaign contribution disclosure.
But because of his relationship with Reed, he stands to benefit from the mayor’s campaign funds, a source within the mayor’s administration said Friday.
Reed is also expected to heavily back embattled Post 3 At-Large Councilman H. Lamar Willis, who is running against Andre Dickens, a program administrator at Georgia Tech. Willis, an attorney who faces potential disbarment over depositing thousands of dollars meant for a young client into a personal account, reported $16,200 in cash in his June campaign contribution disclosures.
Norwood resigned from her position with the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections before filing qualifying paperwork for city office Friday morning, she said. She’ll now embark on a rigorous fundraising campaign, something at which she excelled in previous runs. She collected $250,000 for both of her City Council bids in the 2000s and well over $1 million for her mayoral race.
Norwood said if elected, she plans to press for more accountability and will focus on public safety, transportation and green space development.
She smiled when asked whether she expected another heated race.
“Campaigns are always full of lots of energy and activity, and I’ve always thrived in that environment,” she said. “(Public service) is important work, and a campaign is part of that.”
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