Can Atlanta or Georgia DUers explain how a Mayor race there has only an 800 vote margin?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

I know it can't be only the usual GOP vote suppression, there must be more going on.

[Retrograde]

1. I've seen a number of close local elections

Here in California we once had a state assembly person elected by fewer than 300 votes, and there have been bond and sales tax propositions that won by less than 0.5%. So a close local election doesn't seem all that odd to me.

[Doodley]

2. I think the OP may be thinking that no Republican has been elected as mayor of Atlanta for 140 years

and here in 2017 the Republican almost won.

[Cattledog]

4. Norwood is not Republican.

[Doodley]

11. I stand corrected. Maybe that explains it.

[oberliner]

5. There was no Republican

It was a Democrat against an Independent.

[Cattledog]

7. Correct!

[Cattledog]

3. A Woman Democrat vs Woman Independent both have Progressive agendas.

[oberliner]

6. The GOP had nothing to do with it

Neither candidate was Republican.

[LisaL]

8. Close election.

Means voters were almost nearly split on who they wanted to elect.
It doesn't have anything to do with GOP, neither candidate was a republican.

[Ken Burch]

9. Apparently, the Democratic candidate(now mayor-elect) did not inspire overwhelming support

from voters whose backing she should have been able to win easily. Not sure this breaks down in right-left terms, and it doesn't look as though the GOP has anything to do with this.

[Hoyt]

10. Norwood lost to Reed in 2009 by even less votes -- 700. And she sounds GOPer often.

[CatWoman]

12. Atlanta just made up for that vote deficient by annexing Emory University

which is situated in Decatur.

That area is populated by people who lean Republican:


Emory University annexation into City of Atlanta approved by Atlanta City Council

The City of Atlanta and Emory University announced today that the annexation of Emory into the city has been approved by the City Council and will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

“We are thrilled that the City Council has approved our annexation petition,” says Emory University President Claire E. Sterk. “Working together, Emory University and the City of Atlanta will continue building a stronger future for neighborhoods across the metropolitan area. We enter this new stage of our relationship with enthusiasm and great optimism for what lies ahead.

“Emory is not leaving DeKalb County,” says Sterk. “We remain steadfastly committed to our colleagues and neighbors in county leadership and beyond. Alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the other entities involved in annexation, we will pursue our shared mission of serving the common good in the greater metropolitan area and well beyond.”

http://news.emory.edu/stories/2017/12/upress_emory_annexation_approved/campus.html

[Hoyt]

13. Decatur, Ga went heavily for Clinton. I would be surprised/disappointed if Emory area

leans GOPer. If they did, I don’t think the white wingers would have affiliated with Atlanta. But I don’t have facts at moment since on phone.

[brooklynite]

14. You want an answer? Here's one.....Americans will vote for Republicans.

Massachusetts did. New Jersey did. New York did. Vermont did. Maryland did.

When you lump all Republicans into one evil stereotype, you stop seeing them the way ordinary voters do. And therefore you don't campaign in a way that will convey to them a realistic choice between Republicans and Democrats.

[dsc]

15. I am not from there but what I have read suggests

that the voting was quite racially polarized and that Atlanta is becoming more white so the mayor races are now close. Raleigh had a similar voting pattern in its mayor's race (white liberal independent vs black Democrat) but Raleigh is much whiter than Atlanta so the white independent who was the incumbent (she won with only GOP opposition two years ago) won a much more decisive victory.