Georgia’s most diverse county will soon have its first black mayor

Local political observers don’t believe any city in Gwinnett County — the most diverse community in Georgia, if not the entire Southeastern United States — has ever had a black mayor.

But that’s almost certain to change. And soon.

Craig Newton, a Norcross native and longtime city councilman, was the only candidate to qualify last month for his hometown's mayoral seat. And his eventual swearing in will be a symbolic but significant milestone for one of the Southeast's most diverse counties that has, nevertheless, had a historical dearth of non-white government leadership.