Gainesville mayor will seek city council seat instead

GAINESVILLE, Ga, (AP) - A northeast Georgia mayor says he’s not seeking another term, but he’s also not giving up on government service.

Gainesville Mayor Danny Dunagan announced this week that he won’t seek a third term, but instead plans to run for the city council this fall.

Elected to the council in 2006, Dunagan told The Times that he’s not running for a third term as mayor to spend more time on his business and with his family.

Dunagan said the COVID-19 pandemic harmed his dry-cleaning business.

“Had things not been like they are, I would probably run for one more term as mayor,” he said. “But COVID has taken a huge impact on my business, and my son, who basically ran the business for me when I was gone for my many duties as mayor, got another job.”

Conveniently, the incumbent in the city council seat that Dunagan is seeking announced he would run for mayor when Dunagan announced he was stepping down.

Dunagan was appointed mayor by his fellow council members in January 2012 before becoming Gainesville’s first elected mayor in 2013. He was then re-elected in 2017.

Dunagan said he plans to focus on the city’s increasing traffic problems and continuing to strengthen relationships with Hall County officials as the city continues to expand.

“I’ll still be involved in the projects as we move forward, and traffic is a problem that is going to continue to be a problem down the line,” he said. “We’re still growing and moving in the right direction, but we want to make sure that Gainesville is growing smart.”