Residents in southeast DeKalb County received campaign brochures from a county commission candidate in their mailboxes last Saturday — the day after a special election was announced — raising questions about whether the candidate, Vaughn Irons, was tipped off about the race ahead of time.
Channel 2 Action News reported today that Irons, a developer, sent the "Happy Mother's Day" postcards that advertised his candidacy.
Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May, who on Friday announced his resignation from the commission seat, told Channel 2 he didn’t give Irons advance notice of his resignation, which cleared the way for next month’s election. May also said he won’t endorse Irons.
Irons didn’t immediately return a phone call to Channel 2.
The special election for the commission seat will be held June 16, nearly two years after the southeast DeKalb district last had full representation. Gov. Nathan Deal appointed May, who was the district’s county commissioner at the time, to lead the county in July 2013 as suspended CEO Burrell Ellis faces charges.
Other candidates said they believed Irons gained an unfair edge in the race.
Gina Smith Mangham, an attorney, said residents are entitled to a fair election where all candidates play by the same rules.
Harmel Deanne Codi, a former county employee who plans to run, said she believes Irons took advantage of his advance knowledge.
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