County has record slate of immigrant candidates

Louise Radloff grew up in Canada, and the longtime member of the Gwinnett County Board of Education has long ceased to think of herself as an immigrant. But she appears to have the distinction of being the first naturalized citizen to be elected at the county level in Gwinnett, at least in the modern political era.

Since that first election in 1972, immigrants from many more places than suburban Toronto have made Gwinnett County home, and a number have been elected at the state level. But this year, voters have the opportunity to put immigrants in one more school board seat and two commission seats — a first for the county in which census data shows more than a quarter of residents were born somewhere other than the United States.

Including Radloff, six candidates for local races are foreign-born. Three of them are running for chairman of the Gwinnett County Commission. Charlotte Nash, the outgoing chairman, said it was heartening to see more immigrants running for office.

The candidates have all been in Gwinnett — and elsewhere in the U.S. — for many years. Desmond Nembhard, a Democrat who is running to replace Nash, left Jamaica for New Jersey when he was 18. He moved to Gwinnett on a whim to open a restaurant in 2008 and has since made it home.

“Just the fact that I am able to be in this race, from where I’m coming from, I can’t explain the proudness that I felt,” Nembhard said.

Nembhard thinks having more immigrants in local government can “elevate it from within.”

■ 1000 Degrees Pizzeria, 1133 Woodstock Road, Roswell.

■ Moxie Burger, 555 Atlanta St., Roswell.

■ Q-Time Restaurant, 1120 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd., Atlanta.

■ Wendy’s, 2096 Metropolitan Parkway, Atlanta.

■ Wing House, 371 Boulevard Drive, Atlanta.

■ Big Shots Kitchen & Bar, 102 Guthrie Way, PeachtreeCity.

■ Los Mariachis, 2882 Ga. 54, Peachtree City.

■ Olde Courthouse Tavern, 105 Glynn St., Fayetteville.

■ Pita Mediterranean Street Food, 1240 Ga. 54, Fayetteville.

■ Sabor a Mexico, 805 W. Lanier Ave., Fayetteville.

■ Old Brick Pit Barbecue, 4805 Peachtree Road, Chamblee.

■ Las Tortas Locas, 4005 Buford Highway, Atlanta.

■ Panera Bread, 1545 N. Decatur Road, Atlanta.