The2023 Mableton mayoral electiontook place on March 21, 2023 in theAtlantasuburb ofMableton, Georgia,with a runoff held on April 18, 2023 as no candidate got 50% of the vote in the general election. Aaron Carman gained the most votes in the first round but lost the runoff to formerCobb CountyDemocratic Committee chairMichael Owenswho became the firstmayor of Mableton, Georgiain over 100 years.[1]Despite the runoff election being described as historic, only 6,113 votes were cast andvoter turnoutremained low at 12.9% of 47,200 registered voters.[2][3]
Mableton had previously been incorporated as a city on August 19, 1912 but was disincorporated four years later when a flood overwhelmed its sewer system.[4][5]The nonprofit organization South Cobb Alliance started the campaign for Mableton to be incorporated.[5]Mableton was the last of four proposed new cities inMetro Atlantato be approved; the other three,East Cobb,Lost MountainandVinings,all failed to be incorporated as municipalities in referendums.[6]In May 2022, Brentin Mock ofBloomberg Newsdescribed the city movement in Metro Atlanta as being "defeated".[6]Though Mock reported that Mableton was different as it was the only one out of the four to have a majority non-white population and is assembling around "principles of diversity, affordability and inclusive voting rights".[5]Politically, Mableton is inCobb Countywhoseboard of commissionerswas majority white and Republican for most of its history, until 2020 when it became majority black and Democrat.[5]According to a preliminary analysis from Cobb County, the incorporation of Mableton would result in a net annual loss of $8 million from the city's budget after accounting for the services that the county would no longer provide for it.[5]
In November 2022, the city was reincorporated in an election with 53% of the vote and a margin of just over 1,700 votes.[7]The majority of no votes were concentrated in the north of Mableton, where household income is higher.[8]Human resources director Mark Sette said it was a "power grab" to annex unincorporated areas of north Mableton to "pay for all of the projects that they want down there [in south Mableton]".[8]Thousands of people signed a petition tode-annex areasthat voted no from the city.[9]Mableton was different in that the supporters of de-annexation were multi-racial and multi-generational while organizers of similar secession movements tended to be mainly older white residents.[8]
Michael Owens stated that he was not against de-annexation but that his focus was on the majority of Mableton residents who wish to be in the city.[10]LaTonia Long and Michael Murphy both opposed de-annexation.[10]Mayoral candidate Aaron Carman said that he supported the people involved in the de-annexation effort but stated that if the de-annexation efforts do not pass, Mableton needed someone that could "bring the city together".[10]State representativeDavid Wilkersonsubmitted two de-annexation bills that would have allowed some areas to de-annex from Mableton but both failed in theGeorgia General Assembly.[11]A compromise bill in response to the bills submitted by Wilkerson was drafted by state representativesTerry CummingsandMichael Smithbut this also failed as it was not published in time.[12][11]
LaTonia Long, public policy manager and former chief of staff to state senatorGloria Butler[14](eliminated in the first round, endorsed Owens in runoff)[15]
Michael Murphy, business owner, chair of the Georgia Black Republican Council and former aide to Cobb County Chairman Mike Boyce[16][17](eliminated in the first round, endorsed Owens in runoff)[15]