It’s down to two as Borders concedes
Lisa Borders has dropped out of the race for Atlanta mayor, conceding that she is too far behind the front runners to make it to the runoff.
Borders is pulling about 14 percent of the vote, compared to 45 percent for Mary Norwood and 35 percent for Kasim Reed.
Borders just spoke at the W Hotel downtown where she thanked her voters, staff and supporters but said it wasn’t enough.
From our colleague Ernie Suggs, who was there with Borders:
11:10 – when all was said and done, Borders said it was simple math that drove her out of the race, late Tuesday.
“We got most of the precincts in and with the low turnout, the math didn’t work for us. We couldn’t close the gap,” Borders said. “It was a mathematical decision.”
Borders, while never telling her supports that she was “conceding”, said that minutes before she came onstage at 11 p.m., that she decided to give up the fight.
“God doesn’t give you what you want,” she said later. “He gives you what you need.”
Borders noted that she is still city council president until December 31 and said that she will return to work at Grady Health Systems. She said she has not called Norwood or Reed to offer congratulations yet. She added that it is premature to offer an endorsement.
“I just want to celebrate tonight with my supporters,” Borders said. “We ran a campaign that was open, honest and full of diversity. I am proud of that.”
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13 comments Add your comment
VoiceOfReason
November 3rd, 2009
11:14 pm
Ummmm….how does she drop out? C’mon, you can do better writing than that. She can’t drop out of the race since the race is over(it was over when the last vote was cast).
Philly Transplant
November 3rd, 2009
11:16 pm
OK mam it was explained a few weeks ago that you were not going to win and you still pressed on not only did you lose but you took votes that would have clearly gone to Reed. Thanks for nothing
BigJake
November 3rd, 2009
11:27 pm
With 129 out of 165 precincts reporting, as of 11:15PM on election day, I saw the count of votes for the top three candidates was about 40,000 votes. HUH?! WHAT?! Could this be the lowest percentage of votes cast by registered votes in the history of this fine city? I was brought up to believe that if you did not vote, you gave up your right to complain about whatever those in office do once they have been elected. Citizens of Atlanta who stayed away from the polls – be ashamed…be very ashamed.
GoodLaughs
November 3rd, 2009
11:31 pm
haha…you just made my night.
Atlanta Guy
November 3rd, 2009
11:33 pm
It’s on now with Mary Norwood! Mary will do this and we will finally have the change this city desperately needs.
InkyStinky
November 3rd, 2009
11:34 pm
Can anyone imagine a more poorly run race by someone who could easily have been the next mayor of Atlanta? Her office and campaign staff have been the most inept folks imaginable.
buckhead guy
November 3rd, 2009
11:38 pm
I think Lisa Borders ran a great campaign! I was shocked that she only pulled in 14% of the vote. She had my vote and I think she would’ve made a great mayor for Atlanta.
It's m'aam, Knucklehead
November 3rd, 2009
11:55 pm
“OK mam it was explained a few weeks ago that you were not going to win and you still pressed on not only did you lose but you took votes that would have clearly gone to Reed. Thanks for nothing”
Perhaps she tired of having things ’splained to her by Philly transplants, resolved that it was a free country, and made a commitment to see the race through to whatever conclusion would be reached.
As for having taken votes from Reed–time will tell. Is that a backdoor way of saying that “you” have to stick together, uh, mam? As is often said, Delta has direct flights to Philthydelphia.
Get it Right
November 4th, 2009
12:02 am
45 to 38 to 14 AJC. Please compute your numbers right.
Sam Spade
November 4th, 2009
12:07 am
I think it is funny she had the GOP backing with tools and money and she could not pull it off (norwood). I cannot tell you how many robo call I’ve gotten from her over the last couple of years. She even used Atlanta fire trucks cruising Buckhead with her campaign signs plastered all over them. Typical republican.
eric watson
November 4th, 2009
12:12 am
Lisa Borders needs to scrap her election team and start from scratch next time….Her close working relationship with mayor Shirley Franklin did not help her chances at all.
Grant Park
November 4th, 2009
12:14 am
Lisa Borders is a fine public servant, but I was proud to vote for Norwood, and will do it again on December 1st! Go Mary!
A World (Atlanta) Without (Lisa) Borders
November 4th, 2009
8:35 am
Works for me. Buh-bye Lisa.