Rohit Malhotra / voterohit.com

Indian American civic leader Rohit Malhotra is making another run for elected office, this time for a seat on the Fulton County Commission.

Malhotra, founder of Atlanta's Center for Civic Innovation, is running as a Democrat in the Nov. 3 special election for the District 4 commission seat, months after coming within roughly 2,800 votes of winning the Atlanta City Council presidency.

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The race opened after former District 4 Commissioner Mo Ivory vacated the seat on March 6 to run for Fulton County commission chair. The county scheduled the special election for Nov. 3, with a Dec. 1 runoff if no candidate wins a majority.

Malhotra qualified for the race on May 1, according to Fulton County election records. He is running against fellow Democrat Aaron A. Sampson Jr. and nonpartisan candidates Karen Rene' and Natalie Hall.

District 4 includes Atlanta, East Point, Hapeville and College Park. The winner will join the seven-member Fulton County Commission, which oversees county government and makes decisions on spending and services including public health, public safety, elections, libraries and other programs.

Malhotra's campaign is focused on several issues tied to those responsibilities, including election administration, health care, mental health services, public safety, workforce development and entrepreneurship. He is also calling for greater support for small businesses and nonprofits and more transparency and fairness in the county's budget and tax system.

Raising household incomes, improving transit and increasing government transparency are among his other campaign priorities.

“This moment requires bold, honest, and courageous leadership in our local government,” Malhotra said. “I am running for County Commission because I feel a deep sense of urgency and responsibility to use my skills and experience to show up and fight for this district. Atlanta and Tri-Cities are worth fighting for.”

Malhotra has positioned his Fulton County campaign as an extension of the coalition built during the Atlanta City Council presidential race.

“This campaign builds off of something special we built last year that fundamentally changed our local politics,” Malhotra said. “And our coalition, since then, has only grown. It is multi-racial, multi-ethic, multi-neighborhood, and multi-generational. A new wave of kinder, smarter, more honest politics is here.”

The current campaign also builds on Malhotra's longer record in Atlanta's civic sector. He has spent more than 15 years working in public policy and civic innovation and founded the Center for Civic Innovation, where he has worked with small businesses, nonprofits and entrepreneurs and supported efforts focused on civic participation and community-based approaches to public safety.

His previous experience includes serving as an Ash Innovation Fellow in the Obama administration and working with organizations including HouseATL and ProGeorgia. His campaign says his work at the Center for Civic Innovation has supported more than 200 small businesses, nonprofits and entrepreneurs.

The Working Families Party had encouraged Malhotra to run for the Fulton County seat before he ultimately qualified for the race. The group had also supported his 2025 campaign for Atlanta City Council president.

The Working Families Party of Georgia has now formally endorsed Malhotra, highlighting its organizing work in the South around economic mobility, justice and community-centered political power.

Malhotra said he was “so proud to call WFP my political home” and described the party as a “multi-racial and multi-generational coalition of leaders.”

The Asian American Advocacy Fund has also endorsed Malhotra. In its endorsement, the group said he “has built a career around bringing communities together and turning ideas into action.”

The organization said Malhotra “listens to residents, works alongside local organizations, and fights for policies that support working families.” It identified raising household incomes, improving transit, government transparency and supporting small businesses among the key issues behind its endorsement.

The Nov. 3 election will determine who completes the remainder of the District 4 term. If no candidate receives a majority, voters will return Dec. 1 for a runoff.

If elected, Malhotra would be the first Asian American and first millennial to serve on the Fulton County Commission.

Discover more at New India Abroad