Atlanta frontrunner drops out of mayor’s race

The president of the Atlanta City Council, who most locals believe was a shoo-in to become the next mayor, shocked her fellow Georgians Monday, abruptly withdrawing from the race. She cited the need to take care of her ailing parents, who are both 75 years old. Lisa Borders, who had $232,000 in her war chest in late June and is a darling of the Atlanta business community, was the most popular candidate looking to fill the seat of Mayor Shirley Franklin, who must step down because after serving two consecutive terms. She announced recently that she would need to devote more time to take care of her parents, William Holmes Borders Jr., who is a diabetic with full kidney failure, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. “In the final analysis, you’ve got to be completely focused on becoming mayor,” Borders said Monday. “I clearly have some personal things I need to take care of. I can run for mayor at another opportunity, but I only have one set of parents.”