Atlanta mayoral candidate demands recount after close loss

Mary Norwood says 'it's not over' after Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes city's 60th mayor

Dec 6, 2017

On Tuesday night, Atlanta elected Keisha Lance Bottoms as its new mayor, but her opponent, Mary Norwood, wants a recount.

The race was close, and only minutes into Wednesday morning, at the same time Bottoms was celebrating her win, Norwood was calling for a closer look at the results.

However, April Majors, a spokeswoman for Fulton County, noted that the results first have to be certified before there can be a recount.

–Race and gender collide is contentious Atlanta mayoral runoff–

When calling for a vote recount, Norwood cited an unofficial count and said that she was waiting for the vote count to be updated later in the week.

“It’s not over yet,” Norwood said.

This isn’t the first time Norwood has done this, either. In 2009, Norwood barely lost the mayoral race to Mayor Kasim Reed. It was a slim victory for Reed, one that was confirmed by a recount requested by Norwood.

Bottoms and Norwood had around 26 percent and 21 percent, respectively, in the vote in the general election on Nov. 6. Because neither of them had the majority of the vote, under Atlanta’s rules, the top two candidates then entered a runoff election, running a much tighter and more heated race than the general election, which saw a candidate field of 11 candidates.

Morning motivation from Atlanta’s newest mayor elect, Mrs. Keisha Lance Bottoms?? #HBCUalumna pic.twitter.com/gGA5Z0adoX

— HBCU Buzz (@HBCUBuzz) December 6, 2017