SOUTH FULTON, GA — The race for mayor of South Fulton is heating up as former Mayor Bill Edwards officially launches his bid to reclaim the city’s top office, challenging current Mayor Khalid Kamau and Councilmember Carmalitha Gumbs in what’s shaping up to be a high-profile election.

Edwards, who served as South Fulton’s first mayor following its incorporation in 2017, confirmed his candidacy for the 2025 election, saying: “I love this city, I’m right for this city, I understand this city.” He previously spent 14 years on the Fulton County Commission and led the city until he was unseated in 2021 by Kamau.

Kamau, now seeking re-election, has faced public scrutiny over his handling of city finances, prompting intensified interest in the upcoming vote. His administration has been under fire amid questions surrounding spending practices and leadership transparency.

Councilmember Carmalitha Gumbs, already in the race, would become the first woman elected mayor of South Fulton if successful. In response to Edwards joining the race, Gumbs said she welcomes the competition.

South Fulton is Georgia’s seventh-largest city and a key player in the metro Atlanta political landscape. Edwards’ re-entry into politics also revives past tensions, Kamau was among the city officials who voted to remove Edwards from office in 2019 over a controversial development deal. That investigation was ultimately dropped with no action taken.

If elected, Edwards said he plans to focus on what he calls the S.E.A.L. agenda: stability, economic development, accountability, and listening.

With a former mayor, the current mayor, and a longtime councilmember now in the running, the 2025 race is shaping up to be one of South Fulton’s most closely watched political contests.

WSBs Ashley Simmons contributed to this story