Another candidate has entered Athens’ mayoral race, and she says she’s running to represent the under-represented.
Clarke County Board of Education member Dr. LaKeisha Gantt has announced that she will be running for Mayor of Athens in next year’s election.
“People ask why are you running for mayor, and of course it’s to win, but there are also other goals. I want people to see themselves in the decisions that are made.”
Dr. Gantt is currently a member of the Clarke County School Board, representing District 7. From 2019 to 2024, she served as the Clarke County BOE president, where she says she built lasting relationships within the community.
“I believe my experiences have shaped me and uniquely prepared me to carry the voices of unheard regular everyday people and to begin to lead the way to make changes.”
Dr. Gantt is also a psychologist and professional counselor. She earned her master’s degree in community counseling and her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Georgia.
Dr. Gantt’s platform focuses on an affordable Athens, with fair wages for city employees, affordable housing, and expansion of small business opportunities, especially for minority- and veteran-owned businesses.
“I see Athens’ role hopefully as a small tiny city, that can be a beacon of light, where we can say we can do tough things, we can have hard conversations.”
Dr. Gantt will be running against ACC Commissioner Dexter Fisher and her fellow Board of Education member Tim Denson.
This article appears on Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA News
