Cathy Woolard
Cathy Woolard, the first openly LGBT elected official in Georgia history, came in a close third in the 2017 mayoral race in Atlanta.
As President of the Atlanta City Council, the first woman to hold that position, Cathy championed the Atlanta BeltLine, a project transforming abandoned rail-corridors circling the city into mixed-use recreational trails. She founded the "Dirty Dozen," a pilot program to fix the worst code violations in the city to improve neglected neighborhoods. She also made sustainability a priority, and her Energy Conservation Program cut emissions while saving the city's facilities more than $470,000. As a City Council member for District 6, she increased funding for sidewalks and, while chairing the Transportation Committee, she oversaw the expansion of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which had just become the busiest airport in the world.
Cathy also personally led the Atlanta City Council to pass what is still the only comprehensive civil rights bill in the state of Georgia, protecting hundreds of thousands of Atlantans from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.
As a small business owner and nonprofit organization executive, Cathy has continued to serve others with organizations like CARE, League of Conservation Voters, and the Human Rights Campaign. Cathy is dedicated to Atlanta, committed to honesty and transparency, and diligent in making sure jobs are done right the first time.
Running for:
Mayor
Location:
Atlanta, GA
Previous Office(s) Held:
Atlanta City Council President