The marathon campaign for Margaret Kaiser’s Gold Dome post has begun

• Georgia House of Representatives
• District 59 runs from East Point to Poncey Highland.

Democratic state Rep. Margaret Kaiser’s decision to jump into Atlanta’s next mayoral race didn’t catch anyone off guard. But the timing, more than two-and-a-half years before the 2017 election, and a few hours after former Atlanta City Council President Cathy Woolard declared her bid, came as a surprise. Kaiser plans to serve out the remainder of her term as she pursues higher office. At least three people are already seeking to claim her Gold Dome post and rep the Atlanta district.

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District 59 is one of Georgia’s most diverse districts and includes more than 48,000 residents. It snakes from East Point all the way up to Poncey Highland. Whoever gets elected to the post would play a key role on issues such as improving education in a city with struggling public schools, creating better jobs in a city with the highest income inequality, and redeveloping Turner Field. Though the election is a long ways away, candidates have already said they’re running in the district’s first open race since 2006. David Dreyer and Josh Noblitt recently held kickoff events to formally launch their campaigns. And Janine Brown has also launched her statehouse bid.

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David Dreyer, a commercial litigator and Grant Park Conservancy president, has worked inside the Gold Dome for state Rep. Pat Gardner, D-Atlanta and former Gov. Roy Barnes. He’s also served as chairman for left-leaning groups such the American Constitution Society and Red Clay Democrats.

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If elected, Dreyer says, he would fight hard for stronger voting rights — an issue he’s worked on closely as a volunteer poll watcher, Election Day boiler-room observer, and a voter protection team member. He’s also supportive of Medicaid expansion in Georgia, a higher minimum wage, and the growth of metro Atlanta’s transit system.

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“We can get a real progressive elected in this district,” Dreyer says. “We can be against the death penalty and for legalizing marijuana. We can do a lot of things and it’s a great district for that.”

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Facing off against Dreyer will be South Atlanta resident Josh Noblitt, a marriage and family therapist and Saint Mark United Methodist Church minster. Noblitt would be the first openly gay male legislator in Georgia if elected and was the subject of a 2010 CL cover story following a violent attack that occurred due to his sexual orientation.

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Noblitt, who’s still making the rounds with constituents to hear about their needs, says improving Georgia’s education system and boosting the economy will be among the his campaign’s top issues. He also wants to see greater beautification and code-enforcement efforts within parts of the district. With the state’s “religious freedom” bill expected to return, he plans to fight the legislation, something he’s done for the past two years.

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“It’s one of the most diverse districts in the entire state,” Noblitt says. “That’s our strength. Relationships and conversations among all residents are the key. It’s my desire and intent to spend as much time in every neighborhood in this district.”

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Reynoldstown resident Janine Brown, a retired labor liaison with the United Way of Greater Atlanta, has also joined the race. Much of her time in Atlanta has focused on connecting union members with the greater community. She’s also volunteered her time on campaigns for issues such as Grady Memorial Hospital, ban the box, and immigration reform.

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“What most people are concerned about is that they need good jobs, they need to be able to get to those jobs, they need to be prepared in education to get jobs,” says Brown, who stresses that job-creation efforts must keep all workers in mind, especially when doling out tax incentives to corporations.

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In particular, Brown says, she’ll push for the right kinds of jobs in District 59. She points to Turner Field’s $300 million redevelopment as one of the biggest chances for bringing new employment opportunities to the communities in the district. That process, she says, must be one that’s guided by the community’s desires that will be outlined in the upcoming Livable Centers Initiative study.

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More candidates are expected to enter the race before the November 2016 election. However big the field, House Bill 566, an unheralded measure that quietly passed during the 2015 legislative session, slightly decreased the percentage of African-American residents in District 59 from 57 percent to 51 percent. That change will likely have a major impact on how the race plays out in the coming months.