Fulton Republicans Tap Norwood To Elections Board

In a news release Friday, the Fulton County Republican Party nominated Mary Norwood to its elections board.

Norwood, whose support of LGBT issues was a serious aspect of her failed 2009 mayoral campaign, once sued the elections board in 2010 after it prevented her from appearing on the ballot for the Fulton County Commission chair seat after she missed the filing deadline by several hours. The claim was later tossed out by a Superior Court judge.

Norwood has been a neighborhood and community activist for the better part of three decades and served on the Atlanta City Council from 2002-2008 before running for mayor. She received 46 percent of the vote on Election Day, but lost to Kasim Reed in a runoff.

On the elections board, she would replace William Riley, who resigned in late December due to an overloaded work schedule. The five-member board is selected by the GOP and Democratic parties (two each) and a County Commission-chosen chairman.

The vote on Norwood's nomination is set for Wednesday, Jan. 23.

From the press release:

Amid calls for the Fulton County Department of Elections and Registration to “regroup” and the resignation of a key Fulton County Republican Party member on the Board of Elections, the Fulton County Republican Party takes steps to restore confidence and professionalism to the Board by nominating former Atlanta mayoral candidate, Mary Norwood, for immediate appointment to the Fulton County Elections Board to be ratified by the Fulton County Commission.

Pursuant to Article II, Section 14 of the Fulton County Code of Law, two members of the Fulton County Board of Elections shall be appointed by Fulton County based on nomination from the Fulton County Republican Party Chairman, Roger Bonds.
 
“With the resignation of our County Party stalwart and former judge, William Riley, from the Board of Elections and the ongoing investigation by the Secretary of State’s office, we had to act quickly to find someone with the high caliber of intellect and ability to effect change,” said Bonds. “Mary Norwood is just that kind of person. Her background as a small business owner, community activist, and former elected official gives her the political savvy and professionalism that makes her the ideal person to continue the clean-up work Riley started.”
 
As an Atlanta City Councilwoman, Mary Norwood ran for mayor of Atlanta in one of the city's tightest political contests, coming within 1% of victory. Her volunteer work has spanned over 40 organizations in over 120 volunteer capacities. Prior to serving on the Atlanta City Council, Norwood interacted with elected officials on dozens of issues resulting in an extremely high track record of success.   
 
“Our election process is one of the cornerstones of our country. As the county seat for the capital of Georgia, Fulton County should set the example for the other 158 counties in our great state. It is imperative that Fulton County conduct elections that are accurate and impartial,” offers Norwood. “I am looking forward to ‘rolling up my sleeves and getting to work” to make sure that our upcoming elections are smooth, effortless, and fair for every citizen and every candidate. Our citizens deserve nothing less.”
 
“Today’s FultonGOP is committed to be part of the solution when something goes awry in Fulton County,” states Bonds. “We selected Mary because she is an independent thinker and independent voter.  We believe that voter integrity isn’t a Left or Right, Republican or Democrat issue. All citizens of Fulton County have the right to insist on ballot integrity. So it is our goal at the FultonGOP to get us back to the rule of law, with fairness being defined by the state and US Constitutions.”