A Sandy Springs Republican endorsing an Atlanta Democrat? It could happen in the Fulton County chair race, where Gabriel Sterling says he is considering whether to give runoff support to one of the candidates who knocked him out of the race Nov. 7.
Robb Pitts and Keisha Waites, both Democrats, were the top vote-getters and are headed into a Dec. 5 runoff. Sterling finished out of the running, but he topped the vote in much of Buckhead – Pitts’s home neighborhood – and Sandy Springs and the rest of north Fulton. Sterling also works as a political consultant.
Sterling said he is “undecided” on whether he will endorse a former competitor and “undetermined” on whether he will discuss it with either of them.
During the campaign, Sterling hammered Pitts with a TV ad showing him waving a handful of taxpayer money and filed an official complaint accusing Pitts of misreporting campaign spending.
The Fulton chair race has drawn the attention of Sandy Springs leaders, as the largely Republican-led city enjoyed greatly improved relations in recent years under former chairman John Eaves, a Democrat. Mayor Rusty Paul previously spoke about the importance of continuing the cooperation, especially on regional transportation and transit issues.
Meanwhile, Sterling will remain a member of the Sandy Springs City Council into January, when his term expires, and the recently elected Jody Reichel takes over his District 4 seat. Sterling had previously discussed resigning if he had gotten into the runoff.