Former Athens-Clarke County commissioner and current school board member Tim Denson announced his candidacy for mayor on Tuesday, promising solutions to Athens’ housing crisis.
Denson moved to Athens from Florida about 15 years ago and participated in the Occupy movement. After his upstart mayoral campaign won a surprising 40% of the vote against incumbent Nancy Denson (no relation) in 2014, he formed Athens for Everyone to advocate for progressive causes like fare-free transit.
A4E, while short-lived, proved influential in the 2018 election that swept a left-leaning group of candidates into office—including Denson, who defeated incumbent Jared Bailey and another challenger to win the District 5 commission seat, representing an area from Normaltown out to the Jackson County line. While on the commission, he worked for policies to reign in housing costs and help the homeless, such as spearheading an eviction prevention program. He also backed a controversial proposal, never enacted, to gradually shift half the police budget toward social services.
Denson’s day job is team leader at Advantage Behavioral Health’s Homeless Day Service Center, a North Avenue facility for people to make calls, pick up mail, do laundry, take showers and access other services. Prior to that, he was an organizer with the United Campus Workers of Georgia’s UGA chapter.
“Denson knows how to work both within government and in the community to get things done,” according to a news release. “He envisions an Athens where everyone’s needs are met, including their needs for safety, for transparent and accessible democracy, and for housing and economic security.”
In 2022, Athens’ Republican state legislators drew Denson and two other progressive commissioners out of their districts, preventing them from running for re-election, paving the way for Dexter Fisher to win the open District 5 seat. Fisher is expected to announce his mayoral campaign soon as well. Voters will choose a successor to Mayor Kelly Girtz, who is term-limited, in May 2026.
Meanwhile, Denson ran for school board, where he said he helped put a living wage into place for all Clarke County School District employees, create a sustainability plan and improve graduation rates.
Denson said he will hold a series of listening sessions this summer to hear from voters about their hopes, concerns and priorities. His website is TimForAthens.com.
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