Endorsed Candidates - Runoff Election Results

Simone Bell - WON

District 58 - State House of Representatives

Bell is running for the recently vacated District 58 seat that serves portions of incorporated east-central Atlanta in both Fulton and DeKalb counties, plus adjacent portions of unincorporated DeKalb County. Bell, a native of Detroit, has been a resident of Atlanta for 20 years and of District 58 for 10 years. She is a graduate of Agnes Scott College and has spent the majority of her working life as a community organizer with local non-profit organizations.

Bell has worked as an activist and advocate in Atlanta and across the South for more than 20 years. “During that time I’ve worked on a broad range of policy and legislative issues. I’m passionate about taking overwhelming and complex information and making it accessible to the people whom it will affect most, that they might make informed choices about their everyday lives,” said Simone.  “I believe in the voice of the people.”

Bell said her education and work in health care, and her experience advocating for women’s health, African American and LGBT rights at ZAMI, the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative and Lambda Legal have given her the tools and perspective to advocate on behalf of the residents of District 58. Bell will be the first openly gay African-American woman State Representative in the United States.

Ceasar Mitchell - WON

Atlanta City Council President

Mitchell is a current City Councilman At-Large, who once held the position of City Council President when the post was vacant for a short time. Mitchell has long worked to cultivate a strong relationship with LGBT Atlantans, attending various non-profit and civic engagements devoted to civil rights.

Ceasar Mitchell is strongly committed to protecting existing domestic-partner benefits for Atlanta city employees, while also working proactively to urge the state Legislature to pass anti-bullying legislation.

Mitchell also recognized that the city has room for improvement in how it supports transgender Atlantans through municipal policies, a topic on which Georgia Equality would like to see the entire city government focus more intensely in coming years.       

In his time on the City Council, Councilmember Mitchell has successfully advocated for safer communities through specific initiatives such as police foot patrols, and has championed community development efforts by passing legislation to bring revitalization to long-ignored commercial corridors in our city.

Amir Farokhi - LOST

Atlanta City Council – Post 2 At-Large

Born and raised in Atlanta, Amir Farokhi spent his youth exploring downtown's canyons and the halls of Atlanta colleges, where his parents worked as educators at Georgia State University and Morris Brown College. It was from these experiences that Amir learned Atlanta's rich history and began to recognize that although Atlantans held different perspectives and needs, Atlantans were drawn to the city by the promise of more, not only for themselves, but also for the city itself. It is his belief that Atlanta can grow from a "brave and beautiful city" into an inspiring world-class city that calls Amir to public service today.

Amir Farokhi believes that Atlanta will flourish only if every one of its residents are treated equally. Atlanta’s LGBT community, one of the largest in the nation, contributes to every facet of Atlanta’s success. City Hall must work to protect and promote equality in Atlanta so that Atlanta leads the call for equality in Georgia.

Amir Farokhi will:

*call on the City to better promote its domestic partners registry.

*demand that the City only award contracts to companies that provide full benefits to domestic partners.

*call on the Mayor to appoint qualified LGBT residents to cabinet posts and department heads.

Alex Wan - WON

Atlanta City Council – District 6

“As an openly gay candidate, Alex has the deepest understanding of the numerous and complex needs of the LGBT community. Through his years of community activism and engagement with a broad cross-section of the greater Atlanta community, he has developed the skills necessary to govern effectively and represent the full diversity that defines Atlanta’s District 6.” ~ Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality.

Alex Wan says, “I have not run my campaign on the fact that I am a gay candidate. It really has been on the work I’ve done in the community, both in the LGBT community and the broader community. All things being equal, if that is something an LGBT voter feels strongly about and that throws their support to me, I am grateful.”

“We get reminded every so often that there is still a lot of work to be done in changing hearts and minds in the broader community for equality for everyone. With that, it is important that we not only have friends at the table but we actually have members of our own at the table when decisions and policies are being discussed. It has not necessarily been a cornerstone of my campaign [but] I would be proud to be our community’s representative in city government,” Wan adds.

Joe Macon - LOST

East Point Mayor

The Honorable Joseph L. Macon, in his first candidacy for public office, was elected Mayor of the City of East Point, Georgia, December 6, 2005. He is the 20th Mayor of the City of East Point. Mayor Macon’s historic election acknowledges him as the first African American male elected since the City was incorporated in 1887.

Mayor Joseph L. Macon is employed with the Fortune 500 insurance firm, Allstate Insurance Company. He attended Auburn University and Morehouse College, majoring in Political Science. Joseph L. Macon served three terms as an East Point Planning & Zoning Commissioner, completing his service as a member of this Commission upon his election as Mayor. During his tenure as a member of this Commission, he was a very outspoken advocate for citizen and property owner’s rights. He also encourages the City of East Point developing a diverse economic base through investment by business, industrial and commercial interests.

Mayor Joseph L. Macon’s leadership style is to build coalitions with the City’s residents and business owners. He works closely with each member of East Point’s City Council, and East Point’s City Manager, to collectively build a vision of excellence for the City of East Point. He is a strong believer in setting goals that identify the direction for the City. Mayor Macon is a champion for public safety, economic development and quality education. Joseph Macon understands that leadership involves more than just appearing at a meeting, it involves new ideas being brought forth; setting and implementing goals; and then, actually achieving them.

Mayor Joseph L. Macon is truly committed to the City of East Point. Throughout the years, he has been a very active and dedicated civic and community volunteer. The Mayor and his family, East Point homeowners for the past eleven years, have a vested interest in the City’s future. He and his wife, Jennifer, are loving and supportive parents to their two sons, and volunteer often with their sons’ public school.