Recount looms after nail biting finish in Atlanta mayor race

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta mayoral hopeful Mary Norwood had seen this movie before: A nail-biting runoff election where she came up short by just a few hundred votes.

Eight years ago, she was defeated by Atlanta's current mayor, Kasim Reed, by only 714 votes.

In the sequel, also co-starring Norwood, Keisha Lance Bottoms – a protege of Reed – declared herself the city's new leader early today and Norwood trailed by just 759, out of 92,169 votes cast.

But the race remained too close to call, leaving voters in suspense over whether the city will extend its run of black leaders or get its first white chief executive in more than 40 years.

The runoff between Bottoms, who is black, and Norwood, who is white, was seen as a test of the staying power of the city's long-dominant black political leadership amid profound demographic and economic changes.

Both women are Atlanta city council members. Norwood calls herself an independent and Bottoms is Reed's chosen successor.

A victory for Bottoms, 47, would continue a run of African-American mayors that began with Maynard Jackson in the mid-1970s.

A win for Norwood, 65, would give Atlanta its first-ever white female mayor, and end the Democratic Party's hold on an office it has held without interruption since 1879.

Though the race has yet to be officially called, Bottoms spoke early today at an Atlanta hotel with Reed by her side, telling supporters, "I'm so honored to be your 60th mayor."