Kasim Reed officially became Atlanta’s mayor-elect after a recount revealed that he beat his opponent, Mary Norwood, by 714 votes.
The tightly contested mayoral race received national media coverage due to the possibility of Norwood becoming the city’s first white mayor since 1973. While both campaigns downplayed the racial aspect of the election, the citizens of Atlanta voted along racial lines. At some point, Reed will be forced to address the city’s racial divide.
“I’m not sure what the outcome of this election says about race,” Reed spokesman Reese McCranie said. “But I do know Atlanta residents have a strong history of coming together after tough elections have been waged. Kasim will be looking to build a broad coalition of folks from all over the city.”–a.r.
