Cathy Woolard, the third-place finisher in Atlanta’s Nov. 7 mayoral election, endorsed Mary Norwood for mayor.
Norwood is in a Dec. 5 runoff against Keisha Lance Bottoms in the race to become Atlanta's 60th mayor in history.
Woolard’s endorsement came one day after the former Atlanta city councilwoman hosted a forum with Bottoms and Norwood.
Woolard said she analyzed both candidates on the issues of the Atlanta Beltline, social justice and ethics, and that Norwood came out on top on two of those issues, while Bottoms scored high on the social justice issue.
But Woolard said ethics was the tie-breaker. "I feel like the lack of transparency at City Hall has crushed the spirit of our city," Woolard said. "And I feel like we need a very clean break with this administration, and a new start here with a fresh set of players."
Norwood recently earned the endorsements of Peter Aman and Ceasar Mitchell, who also ran for mayor earlier this month, as well as former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin and the Buckhead Coalition, headed by another former Atlanta mayor, Sam Massell.
Bottoms has been endorsed by current Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, and former Atlanta mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young and Kwanza Hall, who also ran for mayor on Nov. 7.
Wednesday, Reed predicted Bottoms would still win because Norwood insists on characterizing herself as an independent rather than as a Democrat. "I just think given the current political environment, I don’t think Mary Norwood is going to be able to get Donald Trump from around her neck," Reed said. Norwood has said she voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Woolard's endorsement immediately raised the ire of at least one Bottoms' supporter, Issac Hayes III, who tweeted:
ATLANTA YOU BETTER GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY. THE SEIGE IS ON. VOTE @KeishaBottoms #KeishaLanceBottoms pic.twitter.com/SvqQsZcp0O
— Isaac Hayes III (@IsaacHayes3) November 29, 2017On Tuesday night, Woolard peppered her former opponents with questions about ethics, transportation and livability in Atlanta.
