Four years ago, Andre Dickens was an ambitious Atlanta City Council member who surprised even the most veteran politicos when he went from single-digit polling to the mayor’s office by defeating two high-profile candidates — former Mayor Kasim Reed in the race to the runoff and then-City Council President Felicia Moore in one of the most lopsided mayoral elections in modern history.
Today, Dickens’ reality — and name recognition — could not be more different as he launched his reelection bid from his campaign headquarters on Spring Street in Midtown, marking the start of a monthslong pitch to voters as to why they should keep him in office for another four years.
Dickens, who grew up in the Adamsville neighborhood, said he always envisioned his time in the city’s top job as an eight-year commitment.
“As I ran for mayor back in 2021, the goal was to serve for eight years — two terms — all the way to 2030 to be able to deliver all the things that we talked about,” Dickens said Tuesday.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
The morning news conference was followed Tuesday night by a rally at Monday Night Garage in the historic West End — the same location he kicked off his first bid for mayor in 2021. Outside of the evening rally, about 50 opponents of the city’s public safety training center gathered to protest the facility.
Dickens said at the kickoff event that his campaign plans on visiting all 12 of Atlanta’s City Council districts within the next month and will highlight major projects he launched while in office, like recently-built affordable housing developments. One of his first promises when he entered office was a lofty goal of creating or preserving 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030.
The mayor has a lot of high-octane supporters this time around — from former politicians to powerful nonprofit leaders — and starts the campaign with about $1.4 million cash on hand.
But there are headwinds. His first term was marked by controversies like the construction of the city’s controversial public safety training center and recent feud with the Office of Inspector General.
Dickens is also adjusting to a harsh new reality: a Trump administration in Washington, D.C., that has threatened to cut off federal funding and laid off federal workers across Atlanta.
“I’m hoping that we have some sort of avenue to be able to get the money and the help that we will need over time,” he said Tuesday. “It’s impossible to be a city and have no connection to the White House.”
Dickens said he will take the same approach in this year’s campaign as he did four years ago.
“There’s no opponent, but I like to run through the finish line,” he said. “So we’re going to treat this just like it’s a first-time campaign.”
Credit: Atlanta Journal Constitution
Credit: Atlanta Journal Constitution
Dickens has history on his side. Every modern-era Atlanta mayor has run and won a second term in office. The only exception is Dickens’ predecessor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, who decided against running for a second term.
The mayor’s bid is supported by two of his most powerful allies and mentors: Ambassador Andrew Young and former Mayor Shirley Franklin, who are both honorary chairs of his campaign. Franklin, a close family friend of the mayor, has stood by Dickens’ side since his initial campaign for City Council.
Other high-profile backers include: Jason Carter, a former state senator and grandson of the late President Jimmy Carter; well-known attorney Sharon Gay; philanthropist Stephanie Blank; artist and scholar Fahamu Pecou; Former U.N. Ambassador Michèle Taylor; and executive leadership consultant Imara Canady.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“Right now, Atlanta is working because Andre Dickens is working,” Carter said at the campaign launch. “He is one of the hardest working folks we’ve ever seen in this office.”
The former state senator cited Dickens’ quick efforts to mend the fractured relationship between the city and state leadership that dissolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Blank pointed to his work to support Atlanta’s youth.
“I have seen firsthand this mayor’s commitment to children and families, particularly through early childhood education,” she said. “Atlanta needs to not only be the best place to do work, but it needs to be the best place to raise a family and this mayor is making sure that happens.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Facing naysayers
But Dickens also faces the downside of being an incumbent and will have to respond to the unmet expectations of residents who argue the city is not doing enough or what it should do to make everyday life easier.
The public safety training center was so controversial that it was the source of more than 30 hours of negative public comment during City Council meetings, multiple lawsuits, an unfinished referendum effort, the death of a protester and multiple clashes with police that led to dozens of people facing criminal charges.
The Dickens administration was accused of lacking transparency over the facility’s price tag. The public’s share of funding jumped from the originally promised $30 million to $61 million because of a leaseback provision that more than doubled the originally stated cost — a provision officials argue was always part of the plan.
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
The most recent estimate of the cost jumped to $117 million, due largely to heightened security measures.
At Dickens’ campaign rally Tuesday night in the West End, protesters gathered outside the venue, chanting while the mayor took to the stage.
Opponents of the project have vowed to exact their revenge at the ballot box — against the mayor and City Council members who voted in favor of the financing plan. All City Council seats are up in this year’s election, as well.
The mayor also came under fire last May, when a series of severe water main breaks left thousands of residents without drinkable water — some for more than a week. While the incident first unfolded, Dickens was 400 miles away at a campaign fundraiser in Memphis — hosted by that city’s mayor.
Residents slammed his administration for poor communication and a lack of visibility of the mayor for the first 24 hours of the event.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
And most recently, the mayor has been locked in a bitter feud with the city’s Office of the Inspector General — an independent government watchdog arm created to root out corruption and misconduct.
After former Inspector General Shannon Manigault accused top city officials of blocking investigations, the Dickens administration spearheaded a massive overhaul of the office’s operations — a move many say will weaken its independence and led to the resignation of Manigault and a majority of the OIG governing board.
It is unclear how much any of that will impact Dickens’ run for a second term. The mayor said Tuesday that he is prepared to face criticism on the campaign trail.
“This work is so huge — this is a city that is growing rapidly. Every day we’re doing something, and there’s something that still needs to be done,” Dickens said.
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