Bond Wins In Atlanta City Council Race Recount
![](https://www.wabe.org/app/uploads/2017/11/MichaelJulianBond.112017.jpg)
Incumbent Michael Julian Bond and his attorney, Robert Highsmith, stand on the steps of Atlanta City Hall after assuring reporters Bond would be declared the winner after the recount.
Miranda Hawkins / WABE
A recount has solidified incumbent Michael Julian Bond’s win in the Atlanta City Council Post 1 race.
Fulton and DeKalb counties’ election officials started a recount Friday afternoon, several hours after they had originally planned.
Earlier in the week, Courtney English, who chairs the Atlanta Board of Education, called for a recount in the race. He lost to Bond by 375 votes, which is in the margin to request a recount, during the Nov. 7 election.
But English tried to withdraw that request Thursday. Since there were 422 write-in votes, it kept either candidate on the ballot from getting 50 percent of the vote. By state law, a runoff is required if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote.
Robert Highsmith, who is Bond’s attorney, said the write-in votes didn’t count because there was no third, certified candidate.
The write-ins weren’t included in the recount.