Howard, Harrison to Run for Same Council Seat

Two of the six candidates who qualified Monday (Aug. 26) for Snellville City Council seats also gave official statements announcing their campaigns after entering the race. 

Both current Councilman Bobby Howard and Dexter Harrison will be running for Post 4 in the November election. 


A Snellville native, Harrison is a regular attendee of the city's council meetings. He's a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a retiree of both Piedmont Hospital and AT&T. He currently serves on the Snellville Urban Redevelopment Agency, has completed the Snellville Citizens Police Academy, and is a member of the Snellville Historical Society, Snellville Masonic Lodge, Snellville Eastern Star, Yaarab Shrine in Atlanta and the Provost Guard.

"Dexter Harrison has always been a great volunteer for our city. I believe that he would bring an open-mind and integrity to the city council," said Mayor Kelly Kautz.  

Howard, who's served on the council for a half term of two years, is a native of Georgia who moved to Snellville in 1995. He owns a home repair and maintenance business, has been a supporter of the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Association and Care-for-Cops, and has actively supported the local police department in addition to other local organizations and projects.

"I would like to continue serving the citizens of our city for four more years, so I humbly ask for your support to continue making a positive difference in our city," he said. "I think that’s more important now than ever before because as you know, there has been a lot of negative publicity during the past two years," he added, noting legal news involving the mayor.  

In 2011, Howard ran for the seat that was held by Barbara Bender, who gave up her spot to run for mayor. Bender is running again this election season for Mike Sabbagh's seat. 

The fight for the same seat isn't the only thing these two candidates have in common: They're also hosting their campaign kickoff events Thursday night (Aug. 29). Howard is having an open party at the Summit Chase Country Club while Harrison will be having a private event at the Mason-Todd House in Snellville.

To learn more about the other four candidates, click here.