Athens Decides: mayoral election
After eight years under Mayor Kelly Girtz’s leadership, Athens will elect a fresh face to fill his role on May 19. The Athens-Clarke County Government limits mayors to two consecutive four-year terms, making Girtz ineligible for the 2026 race. Five candidates are running for the seat to lead management of the city’s budget, sponsor legislation and collaborate with 10 county commissioners.
Advance voting runs from April 27 to May 15. Athens mayoral elections run on a majority vote system, meaning if no candidate receives more than 50% of votes by May 19, then a runoff election will take place on June 16.
The outcome of this election will impact Athens’ public transportation system, law enforcement, parks and recreational areas, housing policy and efforts to address homelessness. BluePrints staff interviewed each candidate to learn more about their platforms and what makes them best fit to run our city.
Sharon Miller
By Kenia Gonzalez-Chavez
Community organizer and pastor Sharon Miller desires to improve Athens’ reputation as the poorest county in Georgia.
“I want to be a mayor who facilitates lifting Athens from the narrative that it is known for being the smallest city in the state of Georgia. Nothing can be done about that stat, but to be the poorest county, I want to be a mayor to influence change, to lift our narrative so that people can see us in a better light and the quality of life for our citizens improves,” Miller said.
To accomplish her goals, she wants to increase trust in government by implementing “Mayor Miller’s listening sessions” at community meetings and spaces.
Tim Denson
By Riley Pepin
With his campaign promise to “Make Athens affordable again,” Clarke County School District Board of Education member (District 5) and former Athens-Clarke County commissioner Tim Denson is running for the second time to become the next mayor of Athens.
“Athens is an amazing city, and it’s treated me so well. It’s been my home now for over 21 years, for me and my family. It is the best city in the world, but Athens does have a lot of challenges right now. It’s become pretty unaffordable, with a really high housing cost and a lot of other living costs. I believe that I have the experience, but also the vision and the history of getting things done that we need here in the mayor’s office,” Denson said.
In order to make progress with his goals as mayor, he hopes to use his former experiences to make connections and plans with the ACC commission, understanding how local government works.
Mara Zúñiga
By Avery Lewis
After growing up in Nicaragua and migrating to Brooklyn in 1972, mayoral candidate Mara Zúñiga says she understands the struggles of migrants in Athens.
“I believe it’s always difficult because you have to learn the language, you have to learn the system, and also you have to try and be part of it,” Zúñiga said. “I think that’s probably the two most difficult things.”
Her political journey started at the age of 17 years old when she visited Nicaragua with her mother to take care of her ill grandmother. Zúñiga then moved from Brooklyn to Athens, where she continued to be politically active. She ran for mayor in 2022, coming in as first runner up in the election with 25% of the vote. As she runs for mayor again, one of her biggest promises to Athens is total nonpartisanship.
Dexter Fisher
By Eli Stone
Originally from South Carolina, Dexter Fisher moved to Athens to attend Piedmont College. Now one of the five candidates running for mayor, Fisher is campaigning on the idea of being “A voice of reason.”
Fisher previously spent nearly 35 years in management at the University of Georgia and the Clarke County School District before holding his current seat on the Athens-Clarke County Commission (District 5). He views his time at UGA and CCSD as being foundational to his current leadership.
“We kept the small city of UGA running. We built, fixed, kept people cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We kept the grounds clean, kept the buildings clean and the grass cut. I loved working over there,” Fisher said.
LaKeisha Gantt
By Lilly Cohen
As the only mayoral candidate born and raised in Athens, LaKeisha Gantt believes she knows the city best, including its struggles and successes.
“There were so many positive things about my community, and there were some struggles that at the moment I just did not see as community struggle,” Gantt said. “It shaped me in a lot of positive ways. It strengthened me. I did not realize that I was in poverty, and a large part of that, even with any of the struggles that I encounter, was simply because of the strong sense of community.”
Prior to running for mayor, Gantt had an extensive career in counseling psychology. She also served on the Clarke County School District Board Of Education (District 7), later becoming BOE president. She says these experiences will assist her as mayor.
