By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Contributor

Former Columbus, GA Mayor Teresa Tomlinson announced this morning she is taking the first steps toward running for the Democratic nomination to oppose Republican David Perdue in the 2020 U.S. Senate race.

Registering an official committee with the Federal Election Commission earlier today, Tomlinson is the first Democrat to formally explore a run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia. In an email alert to supporters, Tomlinson expressed some of the considerations behind her decision.

“I believe that the US government is the greatest civic achievement the world has ever known, but the current power structure in Washington has corrupted it,” she wrote. “We can do better, and that starts with Georgia. We can elect a Senator who is ready to take on this entrenched power structure so that government serves the people once again.”

Tomlinson is gearing up for a race that has garnered national attention because of the possibility that former Georgia Democrat and Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams may run for the seat.

Tomlinson states, “Democrats owe a debt of gratitude to Stacey Abrams. As we give Stacey the space she needs to make the decision about her next chapter, I have begun to lay the foundation for a run for the U.S. Senate myself should she decide not to.”

Before becoming Mayor of Columbus, Tomlinson served as Executive Director of MidTown Inc., a non-profit that partners with business leaders to clean up and rebuild blighted communities. Her successful service led her to back-to-back wins in her Mayoral races, earning more than 60 percent of the vote each time in the minority-majority city.

Tomlinson is the first woman Mayor of Columbus, Georgia’s second largest city. As Mayor, Tomlinson served 200,000 diverse citizens and oversaw nearly 3,000 employees and a $275 million budget.

As Democrats look to regain a majority in the U.S. Senate, Tomlinson’s political strength could go a long way in helping turn Georgia blue. But first, she’ll need to make a final decision about entering the race and make her case to Georgia voters.

“If I decide to run for Senate,” she added, “my commitment will be to work every day to make sure the U.S. government serves ALL Georgians and ALL Americans.”

Find out more about Tomlinson at https://teresatomlinson.com/tomlinson/

This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., entertainment and culture editor for Black Press USA. She is also founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news blog The Burton Wire which covers news of the African Diaspora. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.

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