Kasim Reed

American Lawyer and Politician

Mohammed Kasim Reed is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 59th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia's state capital and largest city, from 2010 to 2018. A Democrat, Reed was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1998 to 2002 and represented the 35th District in the Georgia State Senate from 2003 to 2009. He served as campaign manager for Shirley Franklin's successful Atlanta mayoral campaign in 2001. After Franklin was term-limited from the mayor's office, Reed successfully ran for the position in 2009. Inaugurated on January 4, 2010, Reed was elected to a second term in 2013.

About Creator

Reed was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. His family moved to Fulton County, Georgia, when he was an infant. His family belonged to the United Methodist Church. His father had considered converting to Islam and named his son Mohammed Kasim, to the consternation of his minister grandfather. Reed graduated from Fulton County's Utoy Springs Elementary School and Westwood High School, now Westlake High School. According to a DNA analysis, he is a descendant through African ancestral lines from the Igbo people of Nigeria.

After graduation from law school Reed joined the law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, and later became a partner at Holland & Knight LLP, both law firms being international firms with offices in Atlanta.

In 2014, Reed announced his marriage to Sarah-Elizabeth Langford; two months later, the mayor's office announced the birth of the couple's daughter. Divorce proceedings began in 2019.

On June 10, 2021, Reed declared that he was seeking another term as Atlanta's mayor in the 2021 election. He placed third in the November election, failing to qualify for the runoff election.