Monisha Brown: How do you feel about being on the same ballot as VP Harris?
Megan Harris: I need to see if they’ll give me one of the sample ballots so I can frame it for later. That would be a cool memento. It does makes me pause.
Monisha Brown: What led you to run for office?
Megan Harris: Last year we lost my brother to suicide. Unfortunately, that was hard. It still is. So, mental health is important to me and we’ll have a thoughtful and meaningful approach to that while in the office. But before I digress too far, it was a prayer. I was talking with my mom. We discussed it, I prayed about it and I threw my hat in the ring. I wanted to stop shaking my head and be part of the change I wanted to see.
Monisha Brown: What have been the pros and cons of being a Black woman on the campaign trail?
Megan Harris: The pros are easy. I’m like, we’re Harris for Harris campaign over here. I am riding the coattails with my last name. The cons are walking into any new room and learning the new corners of that room, which takes time and patience. There are a lot of different personalities that you’ll have to negotiate with as well.
Monisha Brown: What challenges do down-ballot candidates face?
Megan Harris: When you’re further down the ballot, you can feel a little bit forgotten. So, you have to pour energy into advocating for yourself. Just because you get an endorsement doesn’t mean you’ll get a check. You gotta learn how to flex your network.
Monisha Brown: Why are local elections important?
Megan Harris: They touch us first. When I bought my home back in 2011, I was eager to be a new homeowner. We are in a young city. Sandy Springs has only been incorporated since 2005. I start going to city council meetings and public open house meetings. That’s when I saw the plans. I was looking at plans for my city. I realized: This is how the cake is made. None of that is handled on state or above level.
Monisha Brown: How did you discover your political voice?
Megan Harris: When you don’t see examples of that, or say you didn’t come from a political family that was entrenched on that level, you don’t know about your voice. So, it’s not that my voice was being taken from me. I just had not exercised that muscle. I don’t have to complain about this tree that fell on my sidewalk or that the kids are having to walk in the street to get around it, I can do something about it.
Megan Harris is a dedicated community advocate and seasoned financial services professional, running for Fulton County Board of Commissioners District 2. Born and raised in Atlanta, Megan has spent her career helping individuals and businesses achieve financial stability, earning her a reputation as a trusted advisor. She began her career at Bank of America, later becoming a senior financial advisor and now runs her own independent brokerage.
Megan‘s commitment to public service is rooted in her deep connection to the community and her belief in the power of collaboration. She is passionate about addressing the most pressing issues facing District 2, including affordable housing, public safety, healthcare access and economic opportunity. Megan‘s vision is to create a cohesive, inclusive and responsive community where every resident has a voice.
To learn more about Megan Harris, please visit her website at: https://www.megan4fultond2.org/
To view the full interview, please visit: https://vimeo.com/1026232564?share=copy
