Thursday, July 10, 2008
News Voter guide: DeKalb CEO
Posted by Scott Henry @ScottTheHenry on Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 5:14 PM
We've called the DeKalb CEO possibly the most powerful local elected official in Georgia, by virtue of the position's administrative clout and its influence over the County Commission. A fall referendum may rein in that power a bit, but the job is still a big deal in metro Atlanta – most important, actually, than similar posts in other counties.
Because DeKalb is Georgia's most Democratic county, Republicans need not apply for CEO. Accordingly, the race will be decided in the primary, most likely in a runoff election. The candidates are:
- We've called Joe Bembry a recreational candidate because he's run for various offices more than two dozen times in recent years. You may be tempted to vote for someone with the chutzpah to identify himself on the ballot as "Joe from Decatur." Resist that temptation.
- By most accounts, Commissioner Burrell Ellis is the man to beat for CEO. He's raised over $400,000 – more than his four opponents combined – has near-universal name recognition, and enjoys wide support across the county. A frequent opponent of Vernon Jones, Ellis – who's also well-spoken, clean-cut and youthful – has especially endeared himself to residents of the north end of the county. His supporters look to Ellis to undo the racial polarization that has occurred under Jones. Ellis is endorsed by the AJC.
- While Ann Kimbrough seems well-liked by many neighborhood leaders, as Jones' chief of staff, she's been forced into the unenviable role of defending the current administration during debates. Also, the legions of Jones-haters, a group that includes much of north DeKalb, seem unlikely to support the notion of a Jones dynasty. She must poll well in South DeKalb to earn a runoff berth.
- Steen Miles is familiar to much of DeKalb, having covered the county for 15 years as a WXIA-TV reporter. She has a calm, dignified, authoritative presence in debates and can claim two years of experience in the state Senate. But she has had poor showings in the 2000 race for CEO and in 2006 for lieutenant governor; there's little reason to expect a better performance this time around, when she has the least funding and visible organization of any of the candidates.
- State Rep. Stan Watson has strong support among his House colleagues, who see him as a skilled mediator and bridge-builder, but it's difficult to gauge what impact that will have on voters. A scrappy pol of the old school, Watson must expand his appeal beyond the boundaries of his Lithonia House district in order to make the runoff. As of Wednesday evening, he was the only CEO candidate who hadn't filed his campaign disclosure; the deadline was Tuesday.
You can read more about the candidates in the AJC and the website GoDeKalb.
Got a take on any of the candidates for CEO? We welcome your comments.
Comments (4)
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I'd like to know the various candidates' positions on earlier bar closing times. My understanding, which could be wrong since I can't find where I read it now, is that Watson is the only candidate on record saying he does not support earlier closing times.
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Not sure which neighborhood leaders like Ann Kimbrough. She's been right in the middle of many of Vernon's scandals, like four police chiefs in five years. Stan Watson is BFF with Pam "Golden Parachute" Stephenson. And he's been late with campaign disclosures for ten years. I just know that DeKalb taxpayers are counting the days until Vernon, and all of his big spending and bond issuances, are a distant memory.
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