As the former two-term mayor of Clarkston, the most diverse square mile in America, I successfully oversaw the implementation of a bold, progressive agenda including a $15 minimum wage for city employees, establishment of election day as a holiday, the decriminalization of simple marijuana possession, and a commitment for Clarkston to utilize 100 percent clean energy by 2050.
Prior to being elected as the youngest Mayor in Clarkston’s 135-year history, I worked as the Campaign Director for the Georgia AFL-CIO and most recently as the Director for the Georgia Sierra Club. I’ve been a member of the DeKalb County Board of Health for the last 6 years and currently serve as Vice-Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.
It’s time for bold, progressive leadership in DeKalb County. As your neighbor here in Clarkston, you can count on me to bring our communities together. I will listen to you, work for you, and fight for policies that will strengthen our county.
DeKalb is a county like none other. We boast an amazing array of diverse cultures, businesses and people. We’re a neighborly community and we know that in order to create the best county we can, we need to work together. That’s why I’m running for Super 6 Commissioner. It’s time for a change. It’s time for new energy to lead DeKalb –– pushing us to become the world-class county we can be.
Together, with your support, we’ll build a DeKalb that is safer, greener, and more prosperous. We’ll create a community that celebrates our youth, opening doors for their future. And together, we’ll create a DeKalb that our neighbors will be proud to call home.
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During his two-year term as mayor of Clarkston, Ted created the city’s first affordable housing trust fund to help with downpayment assistance and rent payments, he invested in new workforce apartments and affordable housing for seniors. Under his tenure, Ted also initiated the first tiny home neighborhood in Georgia! He knows safe, stable housing is the foundation to creating a healthy, prosperous DeKalb. He will be a housing advocate for all our neighbors and pass reforms that end discrimination in housing, crack down on slumlords, and make sure our seniors and families have a county they are proud to call home.
As mayor, Ted expanded sidewalks and bicycling trails in the City of Clarkston. He supported the transportation infrastructure SPLOST that has helped pave hundreds of miles of DeKalb roads. Fewer potholes is a good thing for the county AND for your car. Ted believes we need to invest in more transit options, and will work to build a more walkable, bikeable community.
As mayor, Ted spearheaded an urban agriculture & micro-farming program in Clarkston. During his two terms, Ted expanded sidewalks and bike trails, invested in greenspace and parks, planted over 300 pollinator-friendly trees, and committed Clarkston to fight climate change by transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2035. He will protect greenspace in DeKalb, push for solar energy investment, and work to ensure a just and equitable transition to a clean energy economy. He knows this issue very well – he served as Director of the GA Sierra Club from 2016-2019.
Under Ted’s leadership as mayor, Clarkston became the first city in Georgia to decriminalize marijuana possession. He pushed for police reforms, moving the department to a “community policing” model that gets officers out of their patrol cars and into neighborhoods where they can help with community projects and run afterschool programs. He will champion the same changes at the DeKalb Police Department. Ted wants a fully funded non-police responder unit made up of mental health professionals and social workers, and he wants to de-fund the militarized aspects of our police (did you know DeKalb has a tank!?).
Ted first ran for office seven years ago because he was tired of politicians who care more about special interests than the people they were elected to serve. Ted believes special interest influence has no place in our elections – that’s why he introduced the DeKalb for the People Act, a slate of policies that would give power back to the people now, by making Election Day a holiday, expanding voting rights, and developing a better campaign funding system.
