Incumbent Mayor Rusty Paul has won a fourth term as mayor of Sandy Springs, according to unofficial results in the Dec. 2 runoff election.
Jump to City Council District 4 Results
| Mayor | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Dontaye Carter | 4,568 | 30.73% |
| Rusty Paul (I)* | 10,298 | 69.27% |
| Updated 10:30 pm |
Paul collected 10,298 votes with all precincts reporting. Carter tallied 4,568. Slightly more than half of Paul’s votes came in advance and absentee voting, with 5,298 ballots for the incumbent. Carter had 1,984 votes cast for him during early voting.
“I am gratified that the voters have rallied to my vision for Sandy Springs of strong public safety emphasis, protecting all our residential neighborhoods, and maintaining a high quality of life for all our residents,” Paul told Rough Draft Atlanta.
Carter told Rough Draft Atlanta he reached out to Paul to congratulate him on his victory, saying he looked forward to working with him.
“Waking up the day after the election, I want folks to know this: even though the results didn’t go our way, I’m incredibly proud of the movement we built together,” Carter said. “To everyone who stood with us — thank you. Your time, your encouragement, your donations, your energy, and your belief carried this campaign. We showed up, we fought hard, and we stood up for what matters most. That work doesn’t end with an election.”
Paul led with 9,620 votes in the Nov. 4 municipal mayoral election, totalling 43 percent of the votes cast, which sent the race into a runoff. Carter’s 4,703 votes were the second highest, securing him a spot in the runoff.
Carter attributed his success in reaching the runoff to knocking on more than 10,000 doors in Sandy Springs and speaking personally to city residents. He said that after his opponent’s many years in office, it was time for a change. Carter promised community involvement by creating advisory councils on housing, transportation, and other issues.
Paul said during his campaign that past successes show promise for the future under his leadership. He offered solutions to long-standing problems, such as the redevelopment of old shopping centers through the creation of tax allocation districts to provide funding for infrastructure improvements.
Carter’s endorsements mostly aligned with local and area Democratic party officials, including Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr., Rep. Derrick Jackson (D-Tyrone), the Chairman of the Democratic Party, Charlie Bailey, former state Rep. Stacey Abrams, former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, Democratic National Committee member and 5th Congressional District chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia Maria Banjo, and former state Rep. Wiliam Boddie Jr.
Paul gained endorsements from his two challengers in this election. Council members Andy Bauman and Jody Reichel endorsed Paul after falling short in the general election of Nov. 4.
Council members Melissa Mular and John Paulson, who won reelection to their seats, endorsed Paul. Paul was also endorsed by Tibby DeJulio, the longest-serving elected official, who did not run for reelection.
Paul also received endorsements from Gov. Brian Kemp and Gabriel Sterling, a former city council member and former chief operating officer for the Georgia Secretary of State, an office he’s seeking in the 2026 election.
The mayor won’t be seeing DeJulio, Bauman, or Reichel at council meetings after Jan. 4, 2026. DeJulio retired from council after 20 years of service and 18 years of working alongside the city’s first mayor, Eva Galambos, to bring an incorporation vote to the citizens.
Bauman and Reichel ran for mayor, so they will leave office as their terms expire when replacements are sworn in on Jan. 4.
Roberts wins District 4 runoff over Sullivan
Frank Roberts appears to have won the Sandy Springs City Council District 4 seat after receiving 1,063 votes with unofficial results and all precincts reporting.
Michelle Sullivan received 830 votes, far less than the number of ballots cast for her in the general municipal election last month.
| City Council Dist. 4 | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Roberts* | 1,063 | 56.15% |
| Michelle Sullivan | 830 | 43.85% |
| Updated 7:25 pm |
“I’d like to thank all the folks that worked for me, all the volunteers, all the folks who donated to my campaign,” Roberts told Rough Draft Atlanta. “Like I say, if you live in Sandy Springs, you’re my neighbor.”
Four candidates in the general municipal election sent the Sandy Springs City Council District 4 election into a runoff also. Sullivan’s 1,296 votes in the Nov. 4 election at 46 percent of the votes cast weren’t enough to avoid a runoff, falling short of the 50 percent plus one vote required to win the office. Roberts, a former police officer for Atlanta and Sandy Springs, tallied 840 votes, sending him to the runoff with Sullivan, who runs a small business.
“Thank you to every resident who cast a vote, shared their concerns, opened their door, or offered encouragement throughout this campaign,” Sullivan told Rough Draft Atlanta. “To my supporters, volunteers, friends and family – thank you for believing in this vision.”
Challengers Steven D. Hickey (336 votes) and Dave Flynn (335) fell short with less than 12 percent of the vote each in the general election.
The candidates sought the seat held by Jody Reichel, who ran for Sandy Springs mayor.