Kwanza Hall
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Born and raised in Atlanta, Hall graduated from Benjamin E. Mays High School.[7] Hall attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied political science, but withdrew during his senior year.[4][5][8][9]
Early career
Before holding elected office, Hall worked in the Fulton County government and served as vice president of technology for GoodWorks International, a human rights and public service consulting firm co-chaired by Andrew Young. He then became the director of business development for MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc.[4][5][10]
In 2002, Hall was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education, where he served for three years prior to his election to the Atlanta City Council.[11] During his time on the Atlanta Board of Education, Hall worked toward closing the achievement gap and contributed to reforms that improved the performance of Atlanta Public Schools on statewide tests.[8]
Hall represented District 2 on the Atlanta City Council, a post he was elected to in 2005.[12][13] He was re-elected in 2009 and again in 2013. Among the most notable of the initiatives he has been involved in during his tenure is the Atlanta Beltline project.[14] Hall has also focused strongly on community improvement including land use, historical preservation, and sustainable development of in-town neighborhoods.[15]
2017 Atlanta mayoral election
Hall filed to run in the 2017 Atlanta mayoral election in January 2017. During the campaign, Hall focused on public safety, transportation, and affordable housing.[16] Hall placed seventh in a field of 12 candidates.[17]
U.S. House of Representatives
Election
2020 Georgia's 5th district special election
After the death of incumbent Congressman John Lewis, Hall announced his candidacy for the September 2020 special election to succeed him.[18][19][20] Hall placed first in the September 29, 2020, general election. As no candidate earned 50 percent of votes cast, Hall and the second-place finisher, Robert Michael Franklin Jr., advanced to a December runoff election.[21][22] He won the runoff election on December 1, 2020.[23]
After Congress
Hall ran for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia in 2022, and placed first in the Democratic primary, but lost the primary runoff to Charlie Bailey.[24] On November 4, 2022, Hall endorsed Republican Governor Brian Kemp for re-election, joining 2 other Democrats in crossing party lines.[25]
