A graphic shows Athens-Clarke County mayoral candidates Tim Denson, LaKeisha Gantt, Dexter Fisher and Mara Zuniga. The four Athenians, who represent the entirety of ACC mayoral candidates alongside Sharon Miller, all announced their run for mayor at some point in 2025 and hope to make a positive change in the Athens community. “The mayor leads the legislative arm of the local government. That means both some kind of near term and long term work. Near term, the mayor is the primary agenda setter, month in, month out, for the things that the commission is going to be working on and ultimately voting on and then really takes that same role long term, the mayor helps set the stage for policy crafting in areas that are going to require many months and many years of work, if you think about the critical issues that have been in the atmosphere in recent years, whether it’s affordable housing or public safety or mobility or access to good jobs,” current Mayor Kelly Girtz said. Photos by Illiana Tejada and Maypop Wren, Graphic by Lea D’Angelo
Five candidates go head-to-head in preparation for the Athens-Clarke County mayoral election, which will commence on May 19.
A thenians will cast their vote for the seventh mayor of Athens-Clarke County in a nonpartisan election on May 19, determining which of the five* candidates will lead the city until 2030. The mayor of ACC is responsible for agenda setting, presenting the budget, internal auditing and recommending candidates for government positions, giving them significant influence over key issues such as affordability, education and commerce.
Clarke County School District Board of Education District five representative Tim Denson, who first ran for mayor in 2014, will be returning to the ballot in 2026.
Denson’s Why: “Athens has a lot of pretty huge challenges. We have a lot of people who aren’t getting the services and resources that they need here, (and) we have a very large economic disparity that’s happening. The gap between those who are well off and those who are left out has gotten larger than it ever has before. I wanted to step up, because I believe that the government has a role to serve.”
Criminal Justice: Denson hopes to expand co-responder programs, in which a trained social worker accompanies law enforcement officials when responding to mental health crises. He also seeks to sever Athens’s ties with for-profit prisons, which are owned by private corporations.
Housing: Denson hopes to recreate a task force and develop policies that expand residential housing. He also wants to build more subsidized housing, using the Affordable Housing budget.
Commerce: Denson is interested in creating an Economic Development Department to assist prospective business owners with the beginning steps of entrepreneurship. He seeks to create an entertainment district in Downtown Athens with an open container zone for alcohol.
Dexter Fisher, currently serving as ACC District Five Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tempore, is running for
mayor in 2026.
Fisher’s Why: “I’ve always had the feeling that I was going to eventually run for public office. I was a civil rights baby, so (growing up), when my mom was going around registering people to vote, I was with her. I knew then that, from a civic perspective, I (wanted) to do something to help folks.”
Housing: Fisher wants to partner with local developers to build housing units that middle- class Athenians can afford. Fisher also supports existing housing initiatives that have arisen from Athens’s partnership with Advantage Behavioral Health Systems.
Criminal Justice: Fisher is a supporter of “community policing,” in which law enforcement is encouraged to form connections with those they serve. He also believes in the value of deploying officers from similar backgrounds to those living in their precinct.
Commerce: Fisher spotlighted the importance of strong education within the city, praising the Athens Community Career Academy for creating job readiness. He wants to “brand” Athens’s education and economic opportunities to bring more people to the city.
CCSD BOE District seven representative Dr. LaKeisha Gantt is a first-time candidate for the 2026 Mayoral Race.
Gantt’s Why: “We need bold leadership in this position right now. My work in schools (as a behavioral specialist) has really allowed me to see (that). Schools exist within a context of a community, and if that community is not whole or healthy and we’re not working to alleviate issues, then they show up in schools. That work has helped me realize just how systemic (reform) is and how we have to solve these issues from an ecological perspective.”
Criminal Justice: Gantt sees importance in the police acknowledging law enforcement-related trauma in minority communities. She believes that ACC law enforcement should work to build relationships with constituents, particularly unhoused and “vulnerable” communities.
Housing: Gantt hopes to request that the University of Georgia contribute payment in lieu of taxes to fund housing initiatives, such as expanding Athens’s homeless shelters. She emphasized having individuals from the Neighborhood Leaders Program, an ACC program, to connect residents to government resources.
Local businessperson Mara Zuniga, who first ran for mayor in 2022, will be returning to the ballot in 2026.
Zuniga’s Why: “The mayor listens to the community and has the power to bring people together. I felt that we needed to bring (Athens) commissioners together (to be) a table for communication. I wanted dialogue, and since I have always been a person that communicates and listens, I would be appropriate for the mayor’s position.”
Criminal Justice: In an interview with The Red and Black, a news publication run by Univeristy of Georgia students, Zuniga emphasized crime as a key concern of hers. Zuniga opposed the creation of Athens’s Public Safety Oversight Board and proposals to defund local law enforcement.
Housing: Zuniga is interested in partnering with the Georgia state government to find solutions to Athens’s affordability crisis. She also emphasized the importance of maintaining the current housing infrastructure to decrease the city’s upkeep deficit.
Commerce: Zuniga wants to create a small business district. She also hopes to streamline the bureaucratic processes associated with entrepreneurship.
*At the time of press, candidate Sharon Miller was unavailable for an interview after multiple attempts at contact.
