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Atlanta city council president takes first steps toward running for mayor

ATLANTA — Atlanta could be in for another interesting year of politics.

Channel 2 Action News has learned that Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore has taken the first step that would allow her to run for mayor against incumbent Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Moore is in her first term as city council president.

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On Wednesday, she filed with the state ethics commission to allow her to begin raising money to run for mayor.

Channel 2′s Richard Belcher reached out to Moore Saturday afternoon, but she declined to comment on the filing.

Belcher also reached out to Mayor Bottoms, who said she was unaware of Moore’s action, but declined further comment.

The last time a candidate beat a sitting Atlanta mayor was in 1973, when Maynard Jackson defeated Sam Massell, becoming the city’s first Black mayor.

The president of the Atlanta City Council is considered the number 2 position in the city government, and the person holding the position used to be called “Vice Mayor”.

Bottoms could face several challengers in her November re-election race.

On Thursday, Bottoms told reporters she knows she could be in for a tough re-election contest this year.

“I don’t take anything for granted, just like I didn’t a few years ago,” Bottoms said.

Candidates have until August to officially decide what office they want to run for.

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