Atlanta mayoral race 2009 results are murky on race in politics

Reed, who counts as fans the rapper Ludacris and much of Atlanta’s civil rights power base, did capture much of the vote on the largely black Southwest side. But Norwood, a former radio executive and neighborhood booster, made surprisingly deep inroads into the black community, and she is viewed by many as a gung-ho proponent of rich and poor neighborhoods alike.

A milestone came in August, when a memo penned by two Clark Atlanta University professors brought race into the campaign by pointing out the importance of keeping blacks in control of City Hall.

While the candidates disavowed the memo – Ms. Borders, the city council president, notably said, “The color of skin of our next mayor is not the issue” – it still marked a turning point in the campaign.

The racial dynamics are likely to intensify now. Indeed, racial rhetoric has dominated Atlanta runoffs going back to 1973, when Maynard Jackson became the city’s first black mayor five years after Martin Luther King Jr. – Atlanta's favorite son – was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn.

By running ads depicting Norwood as a Republican in disguise, Reed has already used coded references to race. Norwood has also subtly “racialized” the campaign, using, for example, obviously black voices in radio ads, says Oglethorpe University Prof. Kendra King.

“By running this attack on Norwood as being a Republican who would set the city back, [Reed] is ... speaking directly to the idea that this candidate may be a danger to the city and to black interests,” says Michael Leo Owens, a political scientist at Emory University here.

The strategy may well be effective, adds Mr. Owens. “The black political elite don’t want to be associated with … running to keep a white mayor out. But in a runoff, the [likelihood] of Atlanta deciding to extend the legacy of electing black mayors will probably play out.”

In a pre-dawn TV interview, Reed said the candidates "have run a high-road, high-minded campaign, and it's going to be left to us to make sure we do not divide this city during this very important election."

Asked about the prospect of being the first white mayor of Atlanta in a generation, Norwood said, "I have said all along that this is about uniting Atlanta. Dr. King said we should be evaluated by who we are, not what we looked like, and I have been so gratified that so many Atlantans across the city have decided that they can support me because of the work that I've done, because of how much I care about all communities in this city."

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See also: 2009 election results hearten GOP, deal blow to Obama

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