Her Term is expanding our focus to supporting candidates for county commission. This profile is a Q&A with Maggie Goldman, who is running for Fulton County Commission District 1. Maggie is running with a focus on free and fair elections, sensible public works and tax assessment practices, and improving public safety.
Maggie will be speaking on our panel about Protecting the Vote on October 23rd in Atlanta. Register to attend now.
Her Term’s motto is “When she wins, everyone does.” What does that mean to you?
I love what the late Senator Paul Wellstone says about this: “We all do better when we all do better.” Women are absolutely a huge part of helping everyone do better. We’re so often at the center of family and social decision making, which is all about making sure everyone thrives.. Yet our wisdom and leadership skills aren't well represented in the policymaking roles that impact everyone every day, namely local and state government. This is why I’m running.
People tend to look at reproductive health, childcare and some other issues as “women's issues.” Can you explain to constituents why these issues should matter to men as well?
Reproductive health is not a one person thing; it’s a partner thing. Men are just as impacted by the outcomes of reproductive policy when it comes to how we plan our families. My husband was affected by our pregnancy loss late last year, too. Dads are affected by childcare issues, and everyone is affected by the quality of public education for our children.
Why is it important to ensure that women get a voice in your district and how are you going to do that?
It’s important that women’s perspectives are represented in local policy and practice. To achieve this, we need women in decision making roles, holding authority to change policy. As a Fulton County commissioner, I will represent the voices of a lot of women who aren’t able to take on these roles.
What inspired you to run for office? Was there a specific event or a chain of events that convinced you?
I’ve wanted to run for public office since highschool. So why this seat at this time? I’m alarmed at the threats to free and fair elections in this county and in this country.
The county commission oversees election funding. If we don’t properly fund elections, the state will take over our election process. In that case, instead of a five-person local elections board, one person – appointed by the State Elections Board – would have the final say in certifying our votes. I want to maintain local, bipartisan control of that process. The way to do that is to properly fund our election process here.
How has being a woman influenced your leadership?
I have a very collaborative and inclusive style of leadership. I gather a lot of different viewpoints and try to do the most good for the most people. I don’t know if that’s driven by my being a woman, but it is a difference I notice between myself and our current commissioner.
Why are you a stronger candidate than your opponent? Why should people vote for you?
My opponent does not believe in the 2020 election results. She is working to undermine the will of the people. That alone makes her a problematic choice for this seat.
I will be a stronger commissioner because I’ll be able to work with my colleagues, rather than agitating for a conspiracy theory that has been overwhelmingly proven false.
What are the major positions that you're running on?
Elections: First and foremost, we want to make sure that we can offer accessible, efficient, transparent elections without election fraud. That includes making sure we fully fund the election process here to avoid a state takeover.
Homelessness funding: The county commission provides a lot of services for homeless people that cities don’t. I’m specifically interested in providing more case management for people who live in extended stay hotels.
Property tax: It’s so important that we have accurate property tax assessments and a more accessible appeal process so that the county collects taxes fairly.
Water: We provide water to north Fulton. The Public Works Department has a plan to replace some of our water meters with ones that electronically track water usage in real time. This helps for a lot of reasons. One big example happened in our home recently. We had a leak that wasn’t identified for two months because the billing window is too long. We lost 500,000 gallons of water and had an enormous bill because of it. Real time water usage tracking can prevent this.
Access to Justice: The county commission funds the District Attorney's Office, the public Defender's office, the courts and the jail. I want to fund these properly and adopt a version of the pre-indictment diversion programs that they have in Atlanta.
How have you been involved in your community and how have you been able to make a difference there?
I feel very lucky to have had many opportunities to get involved in North Fulton since I moved here in 2020. I was a non-medical COVID volunteer with the Fulton County Medical Reserve Corps, helping people get their vaccinations quickly and efficiently. I am a mentor at Centennial High School and a board member for Family Promise, North Fulton/DeKalb. I’m active with the Congregation dor Tamid, a member of The Temple in Midtown, and I co-founded the North Fulton branch of the Georgia NAACP. I am excited by all the good people doing good work here in North Fulton, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the efforts.
How can people help you today with your campaign?
One of the most effective things we're doing is canvassing along with other local legislative candidates. Please join us if you can. We also really appreciate donations, hosted house parties and yard signs. You can find out more on my website.
And is there anything else that we didn't ask you that you'd want to make sure that you say?
However if you’re voting in this election, please look out for yourself and other voters. If you run into trouble voting or see other people having a hard time, contact the Voter Protection Hotline at 1-888-730-5816. We don't want anybody disenfranchised and we want people to know how to protect their vote.