Former Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed has officially entered Atlanta’s mayoral race for a historic third term.
Reed, who left the mayor’s office under suspicion of corruption in 2017, is running again after serving as mayor for eight years.
He is pictured with Atlanta’s current Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in a photo dated October 4, 2017.
AJC.com reports Reed filed paperwork Tuesday night forming a committee that will allow him to begin accepting campaign donations for the 2021 mayor’s race.
Reed, who turns 52 on Thursday, will celebrate his birthday with a party that will double as a $1,000-per-guest fundraiser.
Speculation swirled that Reed would run for a third term after embattled Atlanta Mayor Bottoms announced she couldn’t take the pressure anymore and would not run for reelection.
Bottoms’ announcement was historic — the first time since Mayor Maynard Jackson that an incumbent mayor chose to not seek reelection.
Reed becomes the first mayor since Jackson to run for a third term.
Reed’s second term was marred by a federal corruption investigation into several members of his administration, including bribery convictions against his chief procurement officer and a deputy chief of staff. Reed’s chief financial officer is currently under indictment for fraud and weapons charges.
