• 6-2: Record in political campaigns. Lost first run for Georgia House in 1990, then won four terms. Won two terms as DeKalb County CEO in 2000 and 2004. Lost Democratic primary bid for U.S. Senate in 2008.
• 2: Times Jones, a Democrat, voted for George W. Bush.
• $100 million: Amount per year invested in DeKalb's infrastructure (parks, buildings, roads, senior center) during Jones' 8-year stint, according to an estimate by former executive assistant Richard Stogner.
• 3,000: Number of acres of green space added during his DeKalb tenure.
• 6: Number of challengers Jones defeated in his 2004 election without a runoff, despite a slew of well-publicized controversies.
• 38: Percent of the vote Jones got in his own county in a 2008 Democratic primary runoff for U.S. senator against Jim Martin.
• $250,000: Estimated yearly cost of Jones' security detail for the first part of his stint as CEO. Size of detail was later reduced.
About the Author
Bill Torpy continues to contribute columns to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since retiring in 2025. The Chicago native started covering metro Atlanta for the AJC in 1990.
