The qualifying period for Dunwoody’s at-large and mayoral elections ended Aug. 23, with only two of the races being contested – District 4 and District 5.
The mayoral race and District 6 are uncontested, meaning Mayor Lynn Deutsch and Dist. 6 Councilman John Heneghan will retain their seats.
The election is set for Nov. 7
Regarding future plans and widespread speculation that he could be Dunwoody’s next mayor after Deutsch’s tenure ends in 2028, Heneghan said he is not looking beyond his next four years as a council member.
On an interesting side note, former council member and former mayoral candidate Terry Nall filed paperwork on July 23 indicating his intention to accept campaign donations for a possible run for mayor but did not file qualifying papers by the August deadline, and therefore cannot be considered for office.
Meet the candidates for the contested seats:
Stacey Harris – Incumbent for District 4 Post At-Large
Harris, first elected in 2020, is seeking her second term for the post. She cited the significant advances the city made during the pandemic as one of the highlights of her time on council.
“I was elected and then the world totally changed,” she said. “Despite that, we accomplished so much, and I would like to continue that journey by serving again on the council.”
Harris said she thinks about “the little things” that have been implemented throughout her term that have made a huge difference in Dunwoody.
“Dunwoody Village is a different place now,” she said. “We now have a parks bond on the agenda (in November). Just look at what has happened with public arts.”
Harris came from a military family that moved frequently, but she calls Dunwoody her home, according to her profile on the city’s website, as she spent the most time here. After she graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in international politics and economics, she lived in Russia for two years.
She returned to the United States and Atlanta to work as an assistant housing manager for the Olympic Games and continued her career in event management working for the Goodwill Games until 2001. Harris is now a program director at the MJCCA overseeing gymnastics, aquatics, and tennis programs.
Her campaign website is https://www.staceyfordunwoody.com/.
Chris Ozor – Candidate for District 4 Post At-Large
Ozar, a three-year resident of Dunwoody is a first-time candidate for public office. He said his priorities if elected, would include safety, security, and educational opportunities.
“I am going to be a grandfather in October, and I am envisioning a community where my granddaughter will excel,” Ozor said. “That is what spurred me to want to have a voice.”
Ozor, a software engineer, said he is an activist who “believes in equal rights and equal justice for all.”
He is an advocate for gun control.
“I want to reduce the availability of guns within the city,” he said. “I want all children to be safe and be able to play in the parks without being scared.”
While he has never held public office, Ozor has worked on several national campaigns, including that of former president Barak Obama and former three-term Colorado Gov. Richard Lamm.
Ozor, born in Nigeria, moved to the United States in 1985 and attended several universities in Colorado. He has a bachelor’s degree from Metro State College and a master’s degree from Regents College, both in Colorado.
He is currently developing a campaign website and Facebook page.
Joe Seconder – Incumbent for District 5 Post At-Large
Seconder, a retired Army Major, is running for a second term as the at-large representative for District 5. He said his main goal is to “see the wants and needs of the citizens in the city to be fulfilled.”
“I want to see our master plan implemented, and to continue the work of putting infrastructure that will improve the city,” he said. “I’m super proud of our safe streets initiative, and I want to continue to create a city where every child can safely walk or bike to school.”
Seconder spent several years living in Europe working in project leadership roles in Switzerland, Germany, England, France, Italy, Scotland, Denmark, Northern Ireland, and Spain. He currently is a senior manager at Accenture.
Seconder previously served on the board of the Dunwoody Homeowners Association, the Dunwoody Sustainability Committee, and the Master Transportation Plan Advisory Committee. He was the founder of Bike Walk Dunwoody, and former board member and president of the statewide nonprofit Georgia Bikes.
More information can be found on his campaign website, www.joe4dunwoody.com.
Marianella López – Candidate for District 5 Post At-Large
López, also a three-year resident of the city, is running for the at-large position against Seconder.
She said she wants to see more and better economic development in the city, and especially in the Georgetown area.
“I think Dunwoody has the ability to bring nicer local shops to the Georgetown area and make it a more vibrant community,” she said. “I would also like to see more recycling centers in the city for batteries and cardboard.”
She said although Dunwoody is perceived as an affluent community, there are many pockets within the city where citizens live on the edge of the poverty line. She said she would focus on those areas if elected to the at-large post.
López, who served on Dunwoody’s Edge City 2.0 committee, also volunteers at Kingsley and Hightower elementary schools and is the assistant children’s choir director at Dunwoody United Methodist Church. She also is a program director at Corners Outreach, which partners with Title 1 elementary schools to provide academic assistance to students.
She said she is relying on word of mouth and grassroots support in lieu of having a campaign website or Facebook page.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)