South Fulton voters return to the polls Tuesday to choose between two candidates promising to restore stability after one of the most tumultuous mayoral terms in metro Atlanta history.

Why It Matters: After dumping scandal-plagued Mayor Khalid Kamau with less than 5 percent of the vote in November, residents now decide whether District 2 Councilmember Carmalitha Gumbs or former Councilman Mark Baker will lead the fledgling city forward. The winner takes office in a city eager to move past months of controversy that turned South Fulton into a statewide spectacle.

What’s Happening: Gumbs dominated the November 4 election with 10,533 votes and 39.3 percent but fell short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff. Baker finished second with 5,177 votes and 19.32 percent. Polls are open today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Between the Lines: The November results delivered a stunning repudiation of Kamau, who limped to sixth place with just 1,268 votes—fewer than local entrepreneur Ray Mills, who finished fifth. The incumbent’s collapse came after the City Council stripped him of access to city buildings, revoked his city-owned electric vehicle, and froze his mayoral budget in February.

Both Gumbs and Baker campaigned on restoring transparency and turning the page on scandal. The choice now is between two candidates with deep roots in South Fulton’s short history—but different paths to leadership.

The Candidates: 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.

The Big Picture: The council’s rebellion against Kamau followed allegations he 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 City Council voted unanimously in February to approve a forensic audit of the mayor’s spending dating back to October 2023. Gumbs led the effort to create new spending safeguards, telling reporters the city implemented warning alerts for receipts not reconciled within 72 hours.

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.

Catch Up Quick: The city’s founding mayor, William “Bill” Edwards, captured 16.58 percent in November with 4,443 votes but didn’t make the runoff. Edwards served as South Fulton’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 will show whether residents are ready for governance that prioritizes basic services over global ambitions.

The Sources: The Georgia Sun archives.