Kirkland Carden
Kirkland Carden | |
|---|---|
| Duluth City Council Post 2 | |
| Assumed office January 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Dugan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 25, 1988 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Duluth, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | Duluth High School |
| Alma mater | Georgia State University |
| Website | https://kirkland4gwinnett.com/ |
Kirkland Dion Carden (born May 25, 1988) is an American politician from Gwinnett County, Georgia. In November of 2017, Kirkland won a contested election to the Duluth City Council in the at-large Post 2.[1]. Though the office is technically non-partisan, Kirkland identifies as a member of the Democratic Party and is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for District 1 of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners[2].
Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners - District 1[edit]
Campaign and Election[edit]
In March of 2019, Kirkland had announced he would be running as a Democrat for District 1 of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners[3]. The campaign quickly found its way into the headlines when it held a press conference asking the current Commission to officially condemn Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway for inviting a controversial figure and self described nationalist to represent the sheriff’s department at an immigration forum[4]. The campaign also appeared in several articles of the Gwinnett Daily Post for urging the county to open warming shelters for the homeless during the winter months[5].
During the race, Kirkland picked up endorsements from several prominent local figures, such as State Representative Robert Trammell, State Senator Steve Henson, State Senator Zahra Karinshak, State Representative Shelly Hutchinson, State Representative Pedro Marin, Mayor Craig Newton, Mayor Joseph Geierman, and others.
Duluth City Council - Post 2[edit]
Governing[edit]
While on Duluth’s City Council, Kirkland frequently touted the city’s ranking as the 6th safest city in the state of Georgia[6]. The city was also named Georgia’s 4th best city to live in as a millennial[7] by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a top-five place to live for under $40,000 by The AARP Magazine[8].
Campaign and Election[edit]
2017 Election[edit]
Four years after his previous attempt for Duluth City Council Post 2, Kirkland decided to once again try his hand for the seat. This time, he was far more successful and scored a political upset by beating the 20-year incumbent in the three-way race outright with 55% of the total votes cast[9]. In winning the election, Kirkland became the first millennial and the first African-American to be a member of the Duluth City Council.
Kirkland’s successful 2017 City Council campaign focused on bringing a younger, more progressive voice to the Council. Major themes of his campaign included raising property values, attracting quality jobs, improving transportation, and bettering public safety.
2013 Election[edit]
Kirkland first sought elected office in 2013 when he ran for Duluth City Council Post 2--the seat he would go on to win four years later. Kirkland lost the three-way race with 29.1% of the vote[10]
Early Life and Career[edit]
- Born in Cincinnati, OH, Kirkland's family soon moved south to the metro-Atlanta city of Duluth, GA, where he currently resides. In 2007, Kirkland graduated from Duluth High School, part of Gwinnett County Public Schools. He then went on to attend Georgia State University (GSU) and earn a degree in Political Science. During his time at Georgia State University, Kirkland became the Vice President of the University's Young Democrats chapter. In his junior year, he served as legislative aide to Georgia Senate Minority Leader Steve Henson (D - Tucker).
After his graduation from Georgia State University, Kirkland began working as an Urban Planning Technician at the Jacobs Engineering Group. He left that job in 2017 to become a transportation planner for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), where he currently works in environmental project management.
Personal Life[edit]
Kirkland lives in the city of Duluth, GA, which is within Gwinnett County. He regularly attends the Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in Duluth.
Prior to his election in 2017, Kirkland participated in several different civic involvement programs.
Civic Involvement[edit]
- Gwinnett County Young Professionals
- Rainbow Village Millennials Advisory Panel
- Gwinnett 101, Class of 2016
- The City of Duluth Citizen Budget Advisory Council, 2016
- The City of Duluth Citizens Police Academy, Class of 2016
- The Friends of Atlanta 7th Grade Mentoring Program, 2014 – 2015
- Gwinnett County Board of Elections (Election Clerk), 2012 – 2016
- The City of Duluth’s Zoning Board of Appeals, 2012 - 2015
- The City of Duluth’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, 2011 - 2015
- The City of Duluth L.E.A.D. Academy, Class of 2011
References[edit]
- ↑ "Carden unseats Dugan in Duluth City Council race". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
- ↑ curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com, By Curt Yeomans. "Duluth Councilman Kirkland Carden running for county commission seat in 2020". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ↑ curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com, By Curt Yeomans. "Duluth Councilman Kirkland Carden running for county commission seat in 2020". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ↑ "Duluth councilman asks commissioners to investigate Gwinnett County Sheriff". WXIA. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ↑ curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com, Curt Yeomans. "Money for warming shelters urged as Gwinnett considers 2020 budget". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ↑ "10 Safest Places In Georgia". Movoto Real Estate Blog. 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ↑ Fiza Pirani, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "The best, most affordable suburbs for Atlanta millennials, according to Thrillist". ajc. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ↑ Mahoney, Sarah. "AARP's 10 Most Affordable Places to Live in America". AARP. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ↑ "Carden unseats Dugan in Duluth City Council race". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ↑ "Duluth Election: Both Council Posts Face Runoffs". Duluth, GA Patch. 2013-11-05. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
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