City of Atlanta voters will choose on Nov. 5 from five candidates vying for a seat on the city council that’s been vacant for almost eight months.
Eshé Collins, Amber Connor, Nicole Evans Jones, Devin Barrington Ward and Duvwon Robinson are vying for the Post 3 at-large seat vacated by Keisha Waites in March. Waites resigned the citywide seat to run for Fulton County Superior Court Clerk.
The special election, open to all city of Atlanta voters, is to fill the remainder of Waites’ four-year term that ends in December 2025. The regular election for the at-large seat will be in November 2025.
The Q&A below with the Post 3 at-large candidates is an edited version from the voter guide put together by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Atlanta Civic Circle. Complete answers can be found on the voter guide site.
Eshé Collins
collins4atlanta.com
Tell us about yourself.
Eshé Collins is an Atlanta native, civil rights lawyer and school board member. She has served as past chair and vice-chair of the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education, where her leadership played a pivotal role in raising the APS graduation rate from 52% to an impressive 86%, approving the largest teacher pay increase in history and strengthening partnerships with the city and community organizations.
What is your job/occupation?
Civil rights attorney with the Southern Education Foundation
What city/neighborhood do you live in?
Princeton Lakes neighborhood in Atlanta
What is your top policy priority if elected?
My top policy priority as a Post 3 at-large representative on the Atlanta City Council will be affordable housing and equitable economic development. The rising cost of housing in Atlanta has displaced many residents, threatening the fabric of our communities. By focusing on policies that increase affordable housing options and preserve existing neighborhoods, we can ensure that long-time residents are not pushed out by development pressures. At the same time, I will advocate for smart economic development that creates jobs, supports local businesses and attracts new investment to underserved areas. Addressing these issues together will lead to more stable communities, reduce economic disparities, and create a more inclusive and thriving Atlanta for all.
Amber Connor
amberforatlanta.com
Tell us about yourself.
I am a businesswoman and community activist who is the founder and president of Atlanta-based non-profit Concerned Citizens United, which focuses on public safety issues. I am a member of The Carter Center’s Ambassador’s Circle, served as a U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova during the 1996 Olympic Games and previously served as the security chair for the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods. In 2020-2021, I served on the integrity transition team for District Attorney Fani T. Willis as well as the Transition team for Sheriff Patrick Labat. I also served as a member of former Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant’s Atlanta Police Citizen Advisory Board.
What is your job/occupation?
Owner of Landscape Design company for the last 21 years. Rental property owner for the last 15 years.
What city/neighborhood do you live in?
I live in Atlanta District 9 on the Westside in the Grove Park neighborhood.
What is your top policy priority if elected?
Lowering property taxes and help to ensure safer communities. This is not a new priority. This has been my agenda for 17 years. I have fought city leadership for many years and have a clear understanding of the issues and loop holes in city government. I am an equal opportunity offender when it comes to chastening our elected officials. I have been known to criticize both sides of the aisle as well as collaborate with elected officials when they reach out to obtain citizen involvement.
Nicole Evans Jones
nicoleevansjonesforatlanta.com
Tell us about yourself.
I’m a retired educator and now small business owner. In my 30-year career as an administrator with Atlanta Public Schools we accomplished a great deal that I am proud of. But at the same time, I realized that teachers and educators can only do so much to help a neighborhood. Ultimately, the rest is up to city government to get right. And so I’m running to do just that: To be a responsive leader to neighborhoods across Atlanta and to deliver housing, safety, and transportation solutions that work for everyone, everywhere.
What is your job/occupation?
I am a small business owner of a social club for women leaders and Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach. Previously, I spent 30 years as a counselor and later principal within Atlanta Public Schools.
What city/neighborhood do you live in?
I was born and raised in Southwest Atlanta. Today, I live in the Upper West Side.
What is your top policy priority if elected?
Housing, safety, and transportation are equally important critical challenges that we must face. Residents of Atlanta deserve a reasonably priced place to live, a safe neighborhood, and the ability to access all that our city has to offer.
Devin Barrington Ward
devinforatlanta.us
Tell us about yourself.
I’m Atlanta native, a dedicated community organizer, public health professional, progressive policy expert, and candidate for Atlanta City Council Post 3 At-Large. My journey in public service began nearly two decades ago when I was first hired as a canvasser for Stacey Abrams’ first campaign for public office in 2006. As a someone who experienced homelessness in my youth, I bring a personal connection to the struggles many Atlantans face. My lived experiences have shaped my approach to political leadership, driving me to prioritize affordable housing, environmental justice, public safety reform, and equitable economic development. Most recently, I’ve been actively fighting to support the voting rights of 116,000 Atlantans who were denied the right to vote on the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, a $120 million police training facility that has raised concerns about environmental justice, police militarization, and the safety of communities of color. I am committed to addressing the root causes of inequality and injustice in our city through policy and community-driven solutions.
What is your job/occupation?
Director of Power Building and Organizing at Community Catalyst, a National Health Justice Organization Managing Director of the Black Futurists Group, a racial justice consulting firm.
What city/neighborhood do you live in?
City of Atlanta, Cascade Community in Southwest Atlanta
What is your top policy priority if elected?
My top policy priority if elected is addressing Atlanta’s housing affordability crisis through transformative and equitable housing solutions. I will introduce legislation to implement a decentralized shelter model with 12 shelters across each council district to provide immediate housing for unsheltered residents and help avoid the “not in my backyard,” sentiments to ensure that all Atlanta neighbors share in the responsibility of providing care and shelter to those unhoused. I also plan to introduce legislation that will develop the 362 acres of city-owned land into affordable housing for both rent and purchase, allowing residents to build wealth. This housing will target people at or below 30% of the area median income (AMI), which is around $24,000 to $30,000 for a family of four in Atlanta, ensuring that the housing is accessible to those most in need. I believe Atlanta must redefine and codify into law a new definition for “affordable housing,” and I will ensure that definition includes developments are amenity-rich — with access to grocery stores, public transportation, and essential services — making them desirable and sustainable places to live. Additionally, I will end unnecessary tax breaks for wealthy corporations and ensure that commercial properties pay their fair share of property taxes to generate more money for affordable housing projects. Furthermore, I will introduce legislation that will give Atlanta some of the most progressive zoning laws in the country to allow for more diverse housing types, such as tiny homes, duplexes, basement apartments, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). By increasing the housing supply, we can help lower costs and meet demand, ensuring that more Atlantans can find homes they can afford.
Duvwon Robinson
electdrduvwonrobinson.com
Did not respond to the voter guide.
More information about the candidates can be found on a scorecard recently put out by The Committee for a Better Atlanta, a coalition of many of the city’s largest and influential corporations and civic groups.
#VoteATL, a coalition of community organizations led by the Center for Civic Innovation to engage residents in local elections, released a Q&A with the candidates.
Early voting continues through Nov. 1.
Atlanta voters living in Fulton County can cast early ballots on Sat., Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 27, from noon to 5 p.m.
Atlanta voters living in DeKalb County can vote Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Early voting hours in Fulton and DeKalb on Monday, Oct. 28, through Friday, Nov. 1 are 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Election Day polling sites for DeKalb County can be found here. For Fulton County Election Day polling sites, click here.
Early voting sites in the city of Atlanta:
Adams Park Library
2231 Campbellton Road SW
Atlanta, GA 30311
Bessie Branham Recreation Center
2051 Delano Drive, NE
Atlanta, GA 30317
Buckhead Library (also drop off site for absentee ballots)
269 Buckhead Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
C.T. Martin Recreation Center (also drop off site for absentee ballots)
3201 M.L.K. Jr Drive SW
Atlanta, GA 30311
Chastain Park Recreation Center
140 Chastain Park Avenue NW
Atlanta, GA 30342
Emory University
1599 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30322
Fulton County Government Center
130 Peachtree Street SW Suite 2186
Atlanta, GA 30303
Grant Park Recreation Center
537 Park Avenue SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
Greater Piney Grove Church
1879 Glenwood Avenue, SE
Atlanta, GA 30316
High Museum of Arts
1280 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
Joan P. Garner Library at Ponce De Leon
980 Ponce De Leon Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
Louise Watley Library at Southeast Atlanta
1463 Pryor Road SW
Atlanta, GA 30315
Metropolitan Library
1332 Metropolitan Parkway SW
Atlanta, GA 30310
Neighborhood Church
1561 McLendon Avenue, NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
Northside Library
3295 Northside Parkway NW
Atlanta, GA 30327
