Clarkston, GA — Qualifying for the May 21 election ends today, and the most surprising development so far is Clarkston City Councilmember Awet Eyasu’s decision to run for District 7 on the DeKalb School Board, the seat currently held by Dr. Joyce Morley.

So far, Morley has not qualified to run for reelection. It’s not clear if she plans to do so.

It wasn’t immediately clear that Eyasu would have to step down from the council, but city attorney Stephen Quinn said he vacated his seat by qualifying.

“In my opinion, Mr. Eyasu has vacated his seat on the City Council by qualifying for the School Board election,” Quinn said. “There will be a special election on November 5, 2024 to elect someone to serve out the remainder of his unexpired term.”

Eyasu was first elected in 2015, and he was born in Keren in Eritrea (East Africa).

Here’s his full biography from the city of Clarkston’s website:

Councilman Eyasu attended the University of Asmara in 1996. He graduated in 2000 with a degree History and a minor in Political Science.

He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted by UCLA for their Graduate School. He joined the African Area Studies Department in the fall of 2000 and received his Master’s degree in African History in 2002.

Councilman Eyasu moved to Clarkston in 2002. He is married and has 4 children. He has been an active participant in the local community and is a graduate of the Clarkston 101 Citizen Education program. With motivation from his family and an interest in the City’s future, he decided to run for the Clarkston City Council and was elected to the office on November 3, 2015.

Want Decaturish delivered to your inbox every day? Sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.

If you appreciate our work on this story, please become a paying supporter. For as little as $10 a month, you can help us keep you in the loop about your community.