Incumbent Mayor Rusty Paul took the lead in advance and absentee voting before the Dec. 2 runoff, according to unofficial results.
| Mayor | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Dontaye Carter | 1,984 | 27.25% |
| Rusty Paul (I) | 5,298 | 72.75% |
| Updated 7:25 pm |
Paul received 5,298 votes out of the 7,282 cast in advance and absentee voting, with 1,984 votes cast for Carter.
Paul led with 9,620 votes in the Nov. 4 municipal mayoral election, totalling 43 percent of the votes cast, which sent the race into a runoff. Carter’s 4,703 votes were the second highest, securing him a spot in the runoff.
Rough Draft hosted candidate forums with the four candidates in the general municipal election and later with Carter and Paul ahead of the runoff election.
Carter attributed his success in reaching the runoff to knocking on more than 10,000 doors in Sandy Springs and speaking personally to city residents. He said that after his opponent’s many years in office, it was time for a change. Carter promised community involvement by creating advisory councils on housing, transportation, and other issues.
Paul said during his campaign that past successes show promise for the future under his leadership. He offered solutions to long-standing problems, such as the redevelopment of old shopping centers through the creation of tax allocation districts to provide funding for infrastructure improvements.
Carter’s endorsements mostly aligned with local and area Democratic party officials, including Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr., Rep. Derrick Jackson (D-Tyrone), the Chairman of the Democratic Party, Charlie Bailey, former state Rep. Stacey Abrams, former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, Democratic National Committee member and 5th Congressional District chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia Maria Banjo, and former state Rep. Wiliam Boddie Jr.
Paul gained endorsements from his other two challengers in this election. Council members Andy Bauman and Jody Reichel endorsed Paul after falling short in the general election of Nov. 4.
Council members Melissa Mular and John Paulson, who won reelection to their seats, also endorsed Paul. Paul was also endorsed by Tibby DeJulio, the longest-serving elected official, who did not run for reelection.
Paul also received endorsements from Gov. Brian Kemp and Gabriel Sterling, a former city council member and former chief operating officer for the Georgia Secretary of State, an office he’s seeking in the 2026 election.
The mayor won’t be seeing DeJulio, Bauman, or Reichel at council meetings after Jan. 4, 2026. DeJulio retired from council after 20 years of service and 18 years of working alongside the city’s first mayor, Eva Galambos, to bring an incorporation vote to the citizens.
Bauman and Reichel ran for mayor, so they will leave office as their terms expire when replacements are sworn in on Jan. 4.
The term for mayor begins on Jan. 4, 2026, with the winner of the runoff gets sworn in during a city council meeting that night. The six council members – including the winner of the District 4 runoff election – will also be sworn in during that meeting.
Roberts faces Sullivan in District 4 race
Frank Roberts received 629 of the 1,061 votes cast in the Sandy Springs City Council District 4 runoff election in early voting. Michelle Sullivan’s supporters cast 432 ballots for her.
| City Council Dist. 4 | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Roberts | 629 | 59.28% |
| Michelle Sullivan | 432 | 40.72% |
| Updated 7:25 pm |
Four candidates in the general municipal election sent the Sandy Springs City Council District 4 election into a runoff also. Sullivan’s 1,296 votes in the Nov. 4 election at 46 percent of the votes cast weren’t enough to avoid a runoff, falling short of the 50 percent plus one vote required to win the office. Roberts, a former police officer for Atlanta and Sandy Springs, tallied 840 votes, sending him to the runoff with Sullivan, who runs a small business.
Rough Draft hosted a forum with the two candidates in the runoff election on Nov. 20. A previous forum with the four candidates in the general municipal election was held on Oct. 6.
Challengers Steven D. Hickey (336 votes) and Dave Flynn (335) fell short with less than 12 percent of the vote each in the general election.
The candidates sought the seat held by Jody Reichel, who ran for Sandy Springs mayor.
The post Early voters favor Paul over Carter in Sandy Springs mayoral runoff appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.
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