Candidates qualify for upcoming elections

The qualifying period has ended for the upcoming November elections and some cities in DeKalb County will be electing new mayors and city council members.

Residents of Brookhaven and Pine Lake will be casting their ballots for their city’s next mayor as John Ernst, who was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and Melanie Hammet, who was elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020, have reached their term limits.

Those running to become Brookhaven’s next mayor include former councilmember H.J. “John” Park (who resigned his post at the city’s last council meeting in order to run for mayor) as well as Lauren Kiefer, Hilerie Lind and Mark Douglas Frost.

In Pine Lake, residents will cast their ballots for Brandy Hall or Moira Nelligan as the city’s next mayor.

The city of Stonecrest’s incumbent Mayor Jazzmin Cobble will face challengers on the ballot this year, including Dele Lowman (who received praise from local and state leaders before stepping down as the chair of the board of elections earlier this year) and Diane Adoma.

Additional challenged races that will be on the ballot in November include:

Atlanta

• Board of Education Member District 3, with incumbent Michelle Olympiadis and Ken Zeff qualifying.
• Board of Education Member District 7 At Large with Alfred “Shivy” Brooks and incumbent Tamara Jones facing off.

Avondale Estates

• City commissioner with Graham Reiney and Michael Smith vying for the position.

Chamblee

• Council Member District 2 with Michael Braun, incumbent Leslie C. Robson and Iain Sandison qualifying.

Clarkston

• City council with incumbent Awet “Howard” Eyasu, Krista Durant, incumbent Debra D. Johnson, Charles B. Jenkins, and Mark W. Perkins have all qualified.

Decatur

• City Commissioner District 2, Post B with incumbent Lesa Mayer and Tracey Anderson.

Doraville

• City Council District 2 Post 2 with Ben Crawford and MD Naser in the running.

Dunwoody

• City Council District 1 Post 4 At Large with incumbent Stacey Harris facing Chris Ozor.
• City Council District 2 Post 5 At Large with Marianella Lopez opposing incumbent Joe Seconder.

Lithonia

• City Council with incumbent Darold P. Honore, Jr. and Fred Westbrook both qualifying.

Pine Lake

• City Council with incumbent Nivea Castro against Jeff Goldberg and Thomas Torrent.

Stonecrest

• Councilmember District Post 2 with Terry Fye, Belinda Hull and incumbent Rob Turner.
• Councilmember District Post 4 with incumbent George Turner and Malaika Geuka Wells qualifying.

Stone Mountain

• City Council Member Post 3 with Grace Kelly against Ryan M. Smith.

Tucker

• City Council Member District 1 Post 2 with Karen Berry opposes incumbent Virginia Rece.
• City Council Member District 2 Post 2 with Patrice Cosby, Vinh Nguyen against Derik N. West.
• City Council Member District 3 Post 2 with Simone Pacely, Edgar W. Tingley, and Amy O. Trocchi competing.

To see a full list of all candidates who qualified for the Nov. 7 general municipal elections, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/voter-registration-elections/current-election-information.