South Fulton residents delivered a decisive verdict Tuesday night, dumping embattled Mayor Khalid Kamau with less than 5 percent of the vote in a nine-candidate race that will now head to a December runoff.
Why It Matters: The stunning repudiation of Kamau ends one of the most tumultuous mayoral terms in metro Atlanta history and sets up a December showdown between two candidates promising to restore stability to the fledgling city. The runoff will be held December 2.
What’s Happening: District 2 Councilmember Carmalitha Gumbs dominated the field with 10,533 votes and 39.3 percent, falling short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff, according to election results with all 65 precincts reporting. Former Councilman Mark Baker finished second with 5,177 votes and 19.32 percent. The city’s founding mayor, William “Bill” Edwards, captured 16.58 percent with 4,443 votes.
Kamau, who goes by Mayor Kobi, limped to sixth place with just 1,268 votes and 4.73 percent—a humiliating finish for the former Black Lives Matter organizer who had reversed course just months ago to run for reelection after initially bowing out.
Between the Lines: The numbers tell a story of a city eager to move on. Kamau received fewer votes than Ray Mills, a local entrepreneur who finished fifth with 1,342 votes.
The incumbent’s collapse came after months of controversy that turned South Fulton into a statewide spectacle. In February, the City Council stripped Kamau of access to city buildings, revoked his city-owned electric vehicle, and froze his mayoral budget. The council ordered removal of a pool table from his renovated mayoral suite and demanded return of film studio equipment they deemed unauthorized purchases.
The rebellion followed allegations that Kamau spent approximately $26,000 in unauthorized purchases during the final quarter of 2024, including a 21-day trip to Ghana, multiple trips to Colombia, and flights to Paris, Rwanda, and Toronto. Council members accused him of failing to submit 112 receipts and violating city policy requiring justification within 72 hours of purchase.
Kamau defended the international travel as efforts to promote South Fulton as a hub for Black commerce and trade. The city’s population of about 107,000 is more than 90 percent Black, according to U.S. Census figures.
But residents weren’t buying it. Councilwoman Helen Willis confronted Kamau at a January meeting, telling him he took his “Black behind over to Africa for 20 days and didn’t tell anybody.” Kamau walked out before the spending discussion began.
The Big Picture: Gumbs, 50, has served on the City Council since South Fulton incorporated in 2017 and previously worked as chief of staff to DeKalb County Commissioner Sharon Barnes. She brings a background in health and wellness industry marketing and has championed senior programs, public safety initiatives, and fiscal accountability. If elected, she would become the city’s first woman mayor.
Baker, a retired school resource officer and former councilman, served two terms as mayor pro tem and chaired the city’s development authority. During his council tenure, he sponsored South Fulton’s Crown Act barring natural hair discrimination, the ban-the-box ordinance allowing job applicants with criminal records to apply for city positions, and legislation ending no-knock warrants following the police murder of Breonna Taylor.
Both candidates campaigned on restoring transparency and turning the page on scandal. The December 2 runoff will determine which vision prevails in a city desperate for steady leadership after years of chaos.
Edwards, despite finishing third, remains a familiar face in South Fulton politics. He served as the city’s first mayor but faced his own controversy in 2019 when the council investigated him over allegations he directed a development deal to Fulton County instead of the city. An effort to remove him from office failed.
The election drew voters from a city that’s grown rapidly since incorporation, now spanning over 90 square miles with the largest expanse of undeveloped land on the southern edge of metro Atlanta. Tuesday’s results suggest residents are ready for governance that prioritizes basic services over global ambitions.
Kamau’s term also included a 2023 arrest on burglary and trespassing charges after he allegedly entered a lake house he believed abandoned before confronting the startled homeowner. He faced eviction proceedings from his Atlanta apartment in March over alleged unpaid rent.
In April, after announcing he wouldn’t seek reelection citing the position’s $47,676 annual salary, Kamau changed course and decided to run. The city council later called for a forensic audit of his spending.
The reversal came too late to salvage his standing with voters, who sent an unmistakable message Tuesday: South Fulton is moving on.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
