Jester Endorses Ernst for Mayor

Less than one day after incumbent Mayor Rebecca Chase Williams dropped out of the race, DeKalb Commissioner Nancy Jester endorsed John Ernst in his bid to become Brookhaven’s third mayor in just under three years.

”I first met John when he served as chairman of the DeKalb County Ethics Board,” Jester said in a statement. “Under his leadership, the board became functional again and handed down its first conviction against an elected official in 15 years.”

Ernst, along with Dale Boone, was challenging Williams for the city’s top job. On Tuesday, Williams announced she was withdrawing from the race because of family illness priorities.

Williams represented District 1 on the city council, and was elected by the council to serve as mayor pro tempore. Then, after former mayor J. Max Davis resigned to run for the state House, Williams was chosen to serve out his term by the council.

Williams then appointed Linley Jones to serve out the rest of Williams’ term as District 1 councilperson.

”I am endorsing John for mayor because his experience and leadership make him uniquely qualified to keep up the good work in DeKalb’s newest city while providing the highest level of ethics, accountability, and value-added for the voters,” Jester said. ”Ernst is fully-invested in Brookhaven’s success for all its residents.”