54 Years Separate Marietta’s Mayoral Candidates

A 24-year-old systems engineer wants to unseat the 78-year-old mayor who’s run Marietta for 16 years.

Why It Matters: The November 4 election pits incumbent Steve “Thunder” Tumlin against Sam Foster in what’s become one of Georgia’s most interesting generational showdowns. If elected, Foster would become Marietta’s first Black mayor and its youngest.

The Incumbent: Steve “Thunder” Tumlin

Tumlin is an attorney, certified public accountant and grandfather of six who has served as Marietta mayor since 2010. Before becoming mayor, he served in the Georgia House of Representatives and as chairman of the Marietta Board of Education.

The lifelong Marietta resident holds degrees from the University of Georgia, University of Denver, and Georgia State University’s College of Law, according to the city’s website.

Tumlin plans to continue supporting education and first responders, keep property taxes low and use tax revenue to continue developing the city if elected for another term. He cites the city’s recovery from the 2007 recession and the passage of the 2013 Franklin Road bond as top accomplishments.

The Challenger: Sam Foster

Foster is an IT systems engineer and Kennesaw State University graduate who has never held political office. He moved to Marietta in 2019 to complete his degree, working 30-hour weeks while sharing an off-campus apartment with roommates and covering tuition with the HOPE scholarship.

Foster founded A Better Cobb, a local nonprofit focusing on affordable housing, better public transit, and creating safer streets for bikers and pedestrians. He hosts a free weekly bike ride every Saturday at 10 a.m. in front of Marietta Square Market Food Hall.

Foster’s platform centers on expanding public transit, making sidewalks and crosswalks safe, and adding benches and shelters at bus stops. He advocates for greater housing density and expanding public transit, changes that Tumlin opposes.

Foster criticized the city’s purchase and demolition of a 1,300-unit apartment complex on Franklin Road in 2015, saying revitalization initiatives have displaced low-income and minority residents without providing housing alternatives.

The Generational Divide

Foster has focused his campaign on the generational differences between himself and Tumlin, promising to bring “new and different leadership.” He has used platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to promote his campaign.

In one social media post, Foster took MARTA and a bus from downtown Atlanta to Marietta, saying transit isn’t charity, it’s convenience. In another post, he highlighted Tumlin’s veto of the city’s recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday.

Tumlin, by contrast, has a bare-bones campaign website and isn’t actively posting about his reelection on social media. Tumlin

Both candidates say age is just a number. Foster said the character of the person running matters more than age, while Tumlin said God has given him a few more years and he plans to use them.

Between the Lines: Campaign finance filings show Foster has outraised Tumlin more than four-to-one, raising over $50,000 from more than 500 small donors. While Tumlin has the advantage in terms of experience, mayoral races are historically of low interest to voters. In 2021, only 8,720 people voted and Tumlin won by 1,244 votes.

The Big Picture: Foster is part of a national wave of younger leaders entering local politics. Metro Atlanta is set to grow to 8 million residents by 2050, with that growth continuing to reach beyond the city proper into surrounding regions like Marietta. The race represents competing visions for how suburban communities should manage that growth.

How to Vote: Early voting runs through October 31.

Election Day is November 4, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must cast ballots at their assigned polling place on Election Day, according to Cobb County Elections. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you will still be allowed to vote.

You must bring a valid photo ID to vote. Acceptable IDs include a Georgia driver’s license, state-issued voter ID card, U.S. passport, or military or tribal ID, according to election officials.