The most recent mayoral election has been one of heated competition between the roughly half a dozen candidates vying for power. But after months of campaigning the election ended as many experts predicted without a clear winner, with no candidate achieving a true majority. This will result in a general runoff to be held on Dec. 5 between the two leading candidates, Mary Norwood and Keisha Lance Bottoms. But what do these candidates stand and more importantly who will win this pivotal race.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, a member of the Atlanta City Council, is the leading Democratic candidate who many people see as the political successor to reigning Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, due to his endorsement of her campaign. Of course that also goes with baggage of association with Reed who has been facing allegations of corruption within his administration. Her views are generally extremely similar to her rival Mary Norwood, with the center point of her policy being the “All Rise Program” which she believes will improve many facets of Atlanta with a specific focus on improving infrastructure and transportation in the city, along with advancing affordable housing initiatives.

The other of the two leading candidates of the Atlanta mayoral campaign is one Mary Norwood, a city council woman and veteran of the last Atlanta mayoral campaign where she narrowly lost to current Mayor Kasim Reed. Since that narrow defeat she has plotted her political redemption  and is now vigorously campaigning for the role. She is a self-proclaimed independent candidate, but is accused by some of being associated with the Republican Party. Her views follow similar lines to Lance Bottoms with a focus on improving infrastructure and introducing a so called “global perspective” to Georgian policy. She is also notable for being one of the only truly viable white candidates in years, which many experts are saying is due to the steadily increasing white population in the Atlanta area due to various factors, notably gentrification. If elected she would be the first white mayor since Sam Massell who left office in 1974.

In terms of recent developments both Bottoms and Norwood have attempted to increase support from environmental factions of the Atlanta government, probably in attempt to appeal to those who have felt spurned by Trump’s seeming anti-environmental stance. However this runoff election has led to widespread voter disinterest according to various experts and may potentially have less voter turnout than the November election. Nonetheless no matter how many vote there will be a winner and a chance to influence Atlantas future for decades to come.