From Wentworth to mayor of a US city: Durban's Benita Cotton-Orr elected in Georgia

From the streets of Wentworth to the mayor’s seat in Sky Valley, Georgia, Benita Cotton-Orr’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. 

Born in Simon's Town and raised in Durban, Cotton-Orr will officially take up the role of Sky Valley Mayor in 2026, following a municipal election this week.

She amassed 53.41% of the votes, beating her opponent, Hollie Steil, who garnered 46.59%.

In a post following her win, Cotton-Orr said she planned to make voters proud.

"In my native land, I wasn't even allowed to vote. Because of the color of my skin, I was classified "Cape Coloured." So I watched from the sidelines," she said in a post on Facebook.

She went on to thank her husband for his support.

"I am so grateful for the encouragement of my wonderful husband. I hope I have proved my appreciation for the opportunity to step up for my community. I know my boys are proud. All our family is," she said.

According to her Facebook profile, Cotton-Orr attended Wentworth High School before she began her Journalism studies at Rhodes University. 

She went on to immigrate to Georgia in 1986, seeking better opportunities for her family, according to her website.

After living in Cobb County, Cotton-Orr moved to Sky Valley where, with her husband, Scott, she fell in love with the "serenity of Georgia's highest and coolest city", the website stated.

Cotton-Orr further founded a policy and communications firm in Sky Valley. After over a decade as a journalist in Atlanta, Cotton-Orr further took up the post of Vice President of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.

Cotton-Orr's win comes just hours after Zohran Mamdani was named New York mayor. Mamdani grew up in Cape Town in the mid-1990s. He was born in Kampala, Uganda, and moved to the Mother City in 1996.

In a recent interview with People Magazine, Mamdani reflected on his childhood.

"When you’re the kid of two parents who are very involved in social justice, a lot of times what you remember as a playdate was you being at some rally or some march," he said.

seanne.rall@iol.co.za

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