Jesse Houle will be on the ballot again November 3rd for Athens-Clarke County District 6 Commissioner. This special election will be at the end of your ballot, and we need your vote all the way down the ballot!
While Jesse is the Commissioner-Elect for the next 4-year term, that term doesn’t begin until January 2021. Due to the unexpected and tragic passing of Jerry NeSmith, the special election on our ballots this fall is to fill the remainder of Commissioner NeSmith’s current term. At present, District 6 is without representation and has missed vital opportunities to vote on the budget, shape Tax Allocation Districts, and craft the policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The election on November 3 will give us representation until Jesse takes office for the next full term in January. To be clear, Jesse is the only Democrat in this race, and the only candidate committed to building a future that works better for everyone in our community.
Since the June election, Jesse has been enthusiastically preparing to take office building on more than a decade of experience working alongside community partners. That work aims to transform Athens into a town that will be as good for all of us as it has been for some of us. As a community organizer and working-class Athenian, Jesse has been instrumental in helping to win a living wage for all county employees, Sunday Bus Service, an end to the Sheriff’s Office collaborating with ICE, and more. Jesse’s extensive experience as a touring musician and recording artist instills in them a deep commitment to the artistic heart of the Classic City. Houle’s platform focuses on an active and just response to the ongoing public health and economic crisis. It includes bold steps toward equity and racial justice, green jobs, sustainable energy and infrastructure, affordable housing, tenants’ rights, a reimagined approach to public safety, and investment in public services. It also addresses the specific needs of the residents and businesses of District 6 through public services, infrastructure, and strategic development of the ATL Highway corridor.
It is important that we send a clear message at the ballot box this November. We have an opportunity to elect a slate of transformative Democrats who represent Athens’ exciting future, and who will work tirelessly for the real changes we need. Jesse Houle is proud to work alongside Mokah Jasmine Johnson for State House District 117, Deborah Gonzalez for District Attorney, and John Q Williams for Sheriff in the effort to build a community where every Athenian can thrive, with access to the resources, opportunities, and security that every person deserves.
This election comes in the midst of a public health crisis grossly mismanaged by federal and state officials, during a national uprising against the unrelenting crush of wealth inequality and systemic racism. It is imperative that we elect leaders who will work with and for the people for real change and a healthy way forward. Athens can help chart a sane, sustainable, and just course for our community and country. A vote for Jesse is a vote for that path forward. Vote Jesse Houle on November 3rd.