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Mayor's race 2017: Nine candidates take tough questions at ONE MusicFest forum

The candidates vying for the city’s top job made their case to potential voters, Tuesday night

ATLANTA -- Who will be Atlanta’s next mayor?

The candidates vying for the city’s top job made their case to potential voters, Tuesday night at the ONE MusicFest Mayoral Forum.

The forum lasted well over two and a half hours with candidates answering questions on issues that deeply affect the mostly-African American audience members.

“We are here tonight to focus with laser precision on a black agenda for Atlanta,” said rapper and moderator Killer Mike at the beginning of the event.

And with that, nine dueling candidates and a full room of curious voters, it was off.

Three moderators kept the pressure on at the Loudermilk Conference Center. Candidates answered questions on issues like income inequality education, education, the prison system and gentrification of neighborhoods along the Beltline.

“I’m hitting a lot of the issues head-on. I’m not getting the kind of responses I would like to from some of the lesser popular candidates,” said one attendee. “I am familiar with a few of the candidates and some of the things that they’ve done.”

“There’s definitely an overwhelming theme that people are concerned about the displacement of impoverished people in Atlanta and the gentrification that’s going on in the city,” said another.

Even the ongoing alleged bribery scandal inside city hall made it into the moderators’ questions.

We’re still 2 months away from the Nov. 7 elections so the candidates still have a lot to do. Early voting starts Oct. 16.

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