by Robin Kemp
Today is Tuesday, Dec. 1 and it’s Election Day in the runoff for the late Rep. John Lewis’ unfinished House District 5 term.
Robert M. Franklin, Jr., a religious ethicist at Emory University and former president of Morehouse College, is running against Kwanza Hall, former Atlanta City Councilmember for District 2 (including Atlantic Station, Castleberry Hill, Downtown, Home Park, Inman Park, the Marietta Artery, Sweet Auburn, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic District, Midtown, Poncey-Highland, and Old Fourth Ward).
Kwanza Hall
Hall is endorsed by numerous Clayton County and Southern Crescent officials, including Clayton County Chairman Jeff Turner and Clayton County School Board member Dr. Aleika Anderson, Hapeville Mayor Alan Allman, former East Point Mayor Janquell Peters, State Rep. Sandra Scott, Forest Park Mayor Angelyne Butler, City of South Fulton Councilmember Dr. Catherine Rowell, and East Point Councilmember Lance Robertson.
Robert M. Franklin, Jr.
Franklin does not list any political endorsements on his website. Instead, he highlights his academic expertise as Senior Advisor to the President of Emory University and James T. and Berta R. Laney Chair in Moral Leadership. Franklin has written specifically about “moral leadership” and published four books: Moral Leadership: Integrity, Courage, Imagination (2020);Â Crisis in the Village: Restoring Hope in African American Communities (2007); Another Day’s Journey: Black Churches Confronting The American Crisis (1997); and Liberating Visions: Human Fulfillment and Social Justice in African-American Thought (1990).
The winner will finish out the final month of Lewis’ term in Congress.
The polls and dropboxes are open in Clayton County until 7 p.m. Check this list of frequently asked questions about voting. For questions about DeKalb County voting, read this. In Fulton County, check the Poll Time Tracker to see how long the wait is.
The Clayton Crescent does not endorse any candidate or platform in any election.
