Michael Owens (politician) explained

Michael Owens
Office:Mayor of Mableton
Term Start:April 21, 2023
Predecessor:Office established
Office1:Chair of the Cobb County Democratic Committee
1Blankname1:State chair
1Namedata1:DuBose Porter
Term Start1:2016
Term End1:2019
Predecessor1:Melissa Pike
Successor1:Jacquelyn Bettadapur
Party:Democratic
Children:5
Website:Mayoral Campaign Website

Michael Owens is an American politician serving as mayor of Mableton, Georgia, the largest city in Cobb County since defeating Aaron Carman in the runoff of the 2023 Mableton mayoral election. He previously served as Chair of the Cobb County Democratic Committee from 2016 to 2019.

Early life and career

Owens was raised in Robbins, North Carolina.[1] His grandparents lived in Cobb County, while his grandfather and father were both born in Columbus, Ohio.[1] Owens said that his relatives resided "up and down Veterans Memorial", at the time known as Bankhead Highway.[2] Owens served in the United States Marine Corps for eight years mainly in communications.[1] [3] He also did some combat engineering and training in counterterrorism before going to a boot camp in Parris Island and an officer school in Quantico.[1] He received his doctorate of business administration in global business and leadership from the California Intercontinental University and worked as a business information security officer with consumer credit reporting agency Equifax.[1] [2]

In the 2014 United States House of Representatives elections, he unsuccessfully challenged incumbent David Scott in the Democratic primary for Georgia's 13th congressional district.[4] From 2016 to 2019, he served as Chair of the Cobb County Democratic Committee.[5] In the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections, he unsuccessfully challenged Scott again in the Democratic primary for Georgia's 13th congressional district.[1] He unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in the 2022 Georgia Secretary of State election in which he was endorsed by former Georgia governor Roy Barnes and senator Michael Rhett.[5] [6]

Mayor of Mableton

In March 2023, he announced he was running for mayor of Mableton in the 2023 Mableton mayoral election in which he was again endorsed by Roy Barnes who grew up in Mableton.[7] He was elected with 55.68% of the vote and became the city's first mayor in over 100 years.[8] [9]

In July 2023, Owens and the city council attended a three-day training and orientation session at the headquarters of the Georgia Municipal Association.[10] He also succeeded Mayor of Marietta Steve Tumlin as a member of the Cobb & Douglas County Board of Health.[11]

Personal life

Owens has five children and lives in Mableton, Georgia.[4] [12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Michael Owens: Candidate for Georgia's 13th Congressional District. Larry Felton. Johnson. December 16, 2019. December 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231224071844/https://cobbcountycourier.com/2019/12/michael-owens-candidate-georgias-13th-congressional-district/. December 24, 2023. live. Cobb County Courier.
  2. Web site: Q&A with Mableton mayoral candidates. February 28, 2023. December 25, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231225004027/https://news.yahoo.com/q-mableton-mayoral-candidates-233600472.html. December 25, 2023. live. Yahoo News.
  3. Web site: Meet the new mayor of Mableton, Georgia's newest city. Denise. Dillon. April 19, 2023. December 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231223204842/https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/mableton-meet-the-mayor-of-georgias-newest-city. December 23, 2023. live. FOX 5 Atlanta.
  4. Web site: Michael Owens Announces Candidacy for 13th Congressional District Seat. Ria Gonzalez. Stuart. March 10, 2014. December 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231224120519/https://patch.com/georgia/southcobb/michael-owens-announces-candidacy-for-13th-congressional-district-seat. December 24, 2023. live. South Cobb, GA Patch.
  5. Web site: Cobb County Democrat Dr. Michael Owens enters race for Georgia Secretary of State. September 26, 2021. December 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231224085034/https://spotlightsouthcobbnews.com/cobb-county-democrat-dr-michael-owens-enters-race-for-georgia-secretary-of-state/. December 24, 2023. live. spotlightsouthcobbnews.com.
  6. Web site: Michael Owens Lines Up Endorsements For Secretary Of State Race. Larry Felton. Johnson. January 20, 2022. December 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231224101312/https://cobbcountycourier.com/2022/01/michael-owens-lines-up-endorsements-for-secretary-of-state-race/. December 24, 2023. live. Cobb County Courier.
  7. Web site: Roy Barnes Endorses Michael Owens In Mableton Mayoral Race. Larry Felton. Johnson. March 3, 2023. December 24, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231224102015/https://cobbcountycourier.com/2023/03/roy-barnes-endorses-michael-owens-in-mableton-mayoral-race/. December 24, 2023. live. Cobb County Courier.
  8. Web site: City of Mableton elects first mayor, city council. April 19, 2023. December 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231223204907/https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/cobb-county/city-mableton-elects-first-mayor-city-council/Z2J4W5XSL5BQHCOB3VICNR4EC4/. December 23, 2023. live. WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta.
  9. Web site: Mableton first-ever mayor talks his top priorities for Cobb County's largest city. June 13, 2023. December 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231223204319/https://www.wabe.org/mableton-first-ever-mayor-talks-his-top-proprieties-for-cobb-countys-largest-city/. December 23, 2023. live. WABE.
  10. Web site: GMA Welcomes Its Newest Member City: Mableton. December 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231223205351/https://www.gacities.com/News/GMA-Updates/GMA-Welcomes-Its-Newest-Member-City-Mableton.aspx. December 23, 2023. live. www.gacities.com.
  11. Web site: Mableton Mayor Owens appointed to Cobb & Douglas Board of Health. Larry Felton. Johnson. July 10, 2023. December 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231223205410/https://cobbcountycourier.com/2023/07/mableton-mayor-owens-appointed-to-cobb-douglas-board-of-health/. December 23, 2023. live. Cobb County Courier.
  12. Web site: Q&A with Mableton mayoral candidates. February 28, 2023. December 25, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231225004027/https://news.yahoo.com/q-mableton-mayoral-candidates-233600472.html. December 25, 2023. live. Yahoo News.