PORTERDALE, Ga. – Two seats on Porterdale city council have been decided as Bekah Sue Sewell and Halima Najah Muhammad have won their elections to become council members in close races.

POST 1

Bekah Sue Sewell will be the new representative for Post 1 in Porterdale as she defeated Eric Russell. Sewell defeated Russell 128-91.

“I feel really grateful that the community has chosen me to lead them. I think it’s really exciting and I’m looking forward to making our community a better place,” Sewell said.

Throughout her campaign, Sewell has been persistent on revitalizing Porterdale’s way of life. 

“What we are lacking right now [is] a fun, unique events calendar. We just don’t have events nor a calendar to put them on,”  Sewell said. 

Sewell also stated that she wants further development of parks and green spaces to better the community. She also wants to help to promote public safety and health through her office.

“I’m a little bit of a gym rat and [I] also love the outdoors and staying fit and I think that that’s something we can incorporate into our town to help it to stay fit as well,” Sewell said.

When asked what she wanted to specifically do in her first 60 days of office, she reiterated that adding a community calendar was an “easy fix.”

Sewell then thanked the community while hoping to be the change that the community seeked. 

“The gratefulness that I feel isn’t just for bringing me into office. I ran promoting two other girls, and we all got elected and I think that that’s very telling that the community is looking for change,” Sewell said. “I’m just really excited for us to be able to hopefully provide that desire that the town wants to them.”

POST 2

Halima Najah Muhammad is the new representative for Post 2 in Porterdale, winning the closest race in the entire 2023 election cycle.

Muhammad defeated incumbent Linda Finger 118-102, just a 16-vote difference separating the two.

“I’m deeply honored to have won the city council seat in Porterdale,” Muhammad said. “I’m eager to serve the community and address their concerns.”

The new Post 2 representative said that she will make it a clear point to bring back at least one municipal association.

“I will work with local stakeholders, business owners and the community to re-establish our Downtown Development Authority,” Muhammad said.

Outside of the DDA, Muhammad wants to bring further change into Porterdale.

“I will be reviewing the budget to support business growth, and laying the groundwork for a more business-friendly city code,” Muhammad said.

Muhammad also took the time to thank the citizens of Porterdale and provide what she thinks will be a new hope for the city.

“I want to thank the people of Porterdale for their trust in my vision,” Muhammad said. “Together, we’ll revitalize our city by attracting new businesses and creating a more supportive environment for local entrepreneurs.”