2025 Georgia Municipal Runoff

Dontaye Carter announces candidacy for Sandy Springs mayor ...

Dontaye Carter formally announces candidacy for Mayor of Sandy ...

Dontaye Carter holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. He lives in Sandy Springs with his wife, Dr. Karen Creed, and their daughter. 

Dontaye owns Carter Media Group LLC, a public relations firm. Before launching the company in 2017, he worked as a TV reporter and producer in Georgia and Oklahoma, later joining Atlanta’s CBS46 and 11Alive, and served as Senior Public Affairs Officer for the Fulton County Superior Court.”

Dontaye previously ran for mayor of Sandy Springs in 2021 but did not win.

Supports capping property taxes to protect homeowners from rising costs.

Supports incentivizing corporations to lower costs and reinvest in the local community.

Supports incentives for corporations to cut costs and reinvest locally.

Supports small businesses and wants to expand minority ownership and opportunities.

Wants to ensure affordable and equitable housing for all Sandy Springs residents.

Believes in balancing the city’s budget by making "smart, responsible investments."

Believes in balancing the city’s budget through smart and responsible investments. 

- Supports capping property taxes to protect homeowners from rising costs.
- Supports incentives for corporations to cut costs and reinvest locally.
- Supports small businesses and wants to expand minority ownership and opportunities.
- Wants to ensure affordable and equitable housing for all Sandy Springs residents.
- Believes in balancing the city’s budget through smart and responsible investments. 

Economy

Plans to build community centers that unite and empower residents.

Wants to build community centers that unite and empower residents.

Wants to increase "ethics,, transparency, and inclusivity" in city government.

Wants to strengthen schools to better prepare children for the future.

Wants to "build upon our community’s character and our quality of life."

- Wants to build community centers that unite and empower residents.
- Wants to increase "ethics,, transparency, and inclusivity" in city government.
- Wants to strengthen schools to better prepare children for the future.
- Wants to "build upon our community’s character and our quality of life."

Public Services

Supports stopping rent hikes and price gouging to protect renters.

- Supports stopping rent hikes and price gouging to protect renters.

Housing & Urban Development

Believes in maintaining public safety, increasing public trust, and improving community relations with police.

- Believes in maintaining public safety, increasing public trust, and improving community relations with police.

Public Safety

Supports providing "much-needed infrastructure to ease the commute for working families."

Supports providing infrastructure that will ease commutes for working families. 

Plans to implement traffic-calming and expand alternative transportation options.

- Supports providing infrastructure that will ease commutes for working families. 
- Plans to implement traffic-calming and expand alternative transportation options.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Supports "smart growth," which involves preventing "predatory development" while fostering sustainable progress.

Supports smart growth by curbing "predatory development" and promoting sustainable progress.

- Supports smart growth by curbing "predatory development" and promoting sustainable progress.

Energy & the Environment

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Dontaye Carter

Buket Urgen

Rusty Paul holds a bachelor's degree in English and Journalism from Samford University and a degree in political science from Georgia State University. 

Rusty is the president of iSquared Communications, Inc and director of government affairs and public policy practice at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP. He previously worked as an assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. 

Mayor Rusty Paul | City of Sandy Springs

Rusty Paul - ARC

Rusty is currently serving his third term as mayor of Sandy Springs, where he was first elected in 2013. Before becoming mayor, he served one term on the founding Sandy Springs City Council from 2005 to 2006. He is a also a former Georgia State Senator and also served on the Stone Mountain City Council. He was elected chairman of the Georgia Republican Party in 1995 and served on the Republican National Committee.

As mayor, led Sandy Springs in a lawsuit against Atlanta over water rates, advocating for fair pricing and reliable service for residents.

- As mayor, led Sandy Springs in a lawsuit against Atlanta over water rates, advocating for fair pricing and reliable service for residents.

Supports investing in parks, greenspaces, and a connected trail network to promote healthy living and community engagement.

Supports parent-led charter schools, believing families should shape curriculum and quality, and opposes education bureaucracy closing such schools.

Supports parent-led charter schools, believing families should shape curriculum and quality, and opposes "education bureaucracy" closing such schools.

- Supports investing in parks, greenspaces, and a connected trail network to promote healthy living and community engagement.
- Supports parent-led charter schools, believing families should shape curriculum and quality, and opposes "education bureaucracy" closing such schools.

Believes affordable housing for working-class families is a major concern, as public servants like police, firemen, and teachers commute long distances due to high local housing costs.

Wants to simplify the city’s permitting process.

- Believes affordable housing for working-class families is a major concern, as public servants like police, firemen, and teachers commute long distances due to high local housing costs.
- Wants to simplify the city’s permitting process.

Supports increasing police visibility and investing in the latest technology and emergency response systems.

- Supports increasing police visibility and investing in the latest technology and emergency response systems.

Supports the development of parks, greenways, and a connected trail network to promote healthy living and community engagement.

- Supports the development of parks, greenways, and a connected trail network to promote healthy living and community engagement.

Supports investing in parks, greenways, and trails to promote outdoor activity and sustainability.

- Supports investing in parks, greenways, and trails to promote outdoor activity and sustainability.

Rusty Paul

- The mayor leads the executive branch of local government, presiding over city council meetings, making sure city departments run smoothly, and providing services to citizens. 
- The mayor runs the city day to day and prepares the budget each year, meaning that they propose how much funding goes to each city department, including the police department, city parks, transportation, and the fire department. 
- The mayor also hires the Police Chief, Fire Chief, and city department heads, such as City Planning, Parks & Recreation, and Transportation. 
- Most Georgia mayors are elected in odd years to four year terms. Elections are nonpartisan. 

Sandy Springs Mayor Runoff

Election results

Candidates (2)