Local

Reed Announces Re-election Campaign

August 26th, 2013

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced Monday he’ll run for re-election. Reed reassured the small crowd gathered in front of City Hall he doesn’t have aspirations to run for higher office.

“I don’t want any other job or to be doing any other thing,” he said. “And I’m here to let you know Atlanta is on an unstoppable trajectory towards being one of the leading cities in the world.”

Reed touted his first-term accomplishments, such as beefing up the city’s police force and passing pension reform.

Both supporters and detractors came out for the mayor’s announcement.

Listen to the broadcast version of this story.

Reed’s supporters cheered him on as he tries to earn a second term. Realtor Christian Ross said she’s backing the mayor this time around, even though she voted for one of his opponents four years ago.

“Just seeing what he’s done as far as not only real estate, but just the investment,” she said. “A lot of my international clients definitely see exactly his vision, that we are on an upward trajectory and what he’s done with crime and making the city and the residents feel safter, I just really agree with a lot that he’s done.”

Ross says Atlanta’s real estate market has improved since Reed took office. Atlanta Board of Realtors data show rising housing values and home prices. Ross says Reed’s commitment to bringing investment to the city has helped.

However, the Atlanta Vendors Association staged a silent protest during the announcement.

Association President Larry Miller says the group was not there to protest Reed’s re-election. He says the vendors just want to go back to work.

Last week, the city council voted to table a measure that would have allowed the vendors to resume sales on public property through the end of the year.

Miller says the association is ready to take action.

“Basically we are asking the judge with a mandamus to correct this,” Miller said. “If not, we are filing a federal lawsuit.

Vendors have been out of work since March, when they were cleared out to make way for a more uniform policy.

Reed promised last week to introduce legislation on the matter within the next 60 days.