COVINGTON, Ga. — Kenneth Morgan, who currently serves on the Covington City Council representing West Ward Post 1, told The News on Wednesday he intends to run for mayor in 2024.

Morgan, in his sixth year on the council, said he would not seek reelection to a third term. Instead, he will make a bid for the mayor’s office.

“I know the election is about a year and a half out,” Morgan said. “But I feel like it’s time to make this announcement … I feel like it’s time to really build some momentum.”

Morgan, 64, was born in Atlanta but raised in Covington. He said his family moved to the city when he was a small child and has resided here ever since. He attended Newton County High School before joining the Army.

After his time in the military, Morgan returned home to Covington and “did a little bit of everything” for work, he said. He spent 19 years on staff with the city of Covington as an accreditation manager and later worked in warehousing and purchasing.

“I wore a lot of different hats,” Morgan said.

In 2013, Morgan opted for an early retirement to pursue other ambitions.

In 2015, he made his initial run for city council and unseated longtime councilwoman Janet Goodman for West Ward Post 1. A “pioneer in politics,” Goodman was the first African American woman ever elected to the council, and she held her seat for 36 years.

Morgan was sworn in January 2016, and has since remained in his post. In 2019, his reelection bid was successful as he faced no challengers.

Outside of his work on the council, Morgan successfully started and now operates two businesses: In a Minute Delivery & Moving Company and K&M Appliances. Morgan has written three books with a fourth in the works, and he also produced and hosted a television show, “What’s Your Story?”

Morgan said a run for mayor has been his goal for a long time — before he was ever elected to serve on the city council.

“I knew from day one,” he said. “When I ran for city council in 2015, my goal was to serve four years and go for the mayor’s seat, if I felt comfortable. If I didn’t feel comfortable after four years, I would serve eight years, and then go after the mayor’s seat. It doesn’t matter who I would be running against; that’s been my goal from the beginning. My plans have been set.”

His many years of experience as an employee, in addition to his time on the council, has prepared him for the role of mayor, Morgan said.

“I am more than qualified to be mayor of the city of Covington,” he said. “It’s not only my time on the council, but it’s also my time as an employee … I know how things are done. And not to put it lightly, but [being mayor] is a no-brainer job. A successful mayor is somebody that’s a good person with good ideas, visions, and is someone who cares about people. Really, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.

“I’m well-versed and well-rounded in how our government operates,” he said.

Morgan said he has a vision for what he believes Covington should and can become.

“I want there to be a sense of belonging to everybody in this city,” Morgan said. “I want everybody to feel like they are a part of this city — this community. It doesn’t belong to just one group of people. It belongs to all of us.

“I want this community to get to the point where it’s not about nationality or race,” he said. “At the basis of everything we do, the focus needs to be about serving people to the best of your ability. You treat people how you want people to treat you … If we can do that, life will be more favorable for everyone.

“I want to see a community that will work together, that will live together and will embrace one another,” Morgan said. “One of the terms I learned on a trip to Africa was ‘harambe’ that means ‘let’s pull together.’ If we could all gravitate toward that, life would would be a whole lot better.”

Despite being elected to represent the West Ward, Morgan said his goal as a council member is to try and represent the entire community. Morgan said he would bring that mindset to the mayor’s seat. 

If elected, Morgan said his goals would include continuing to facilitate good, positive growth concerning industrial, retail and housing development; uniting the community and moving past racial issues; working to provide more services for seniors, as well as the community’s youth; and bettering the relationship between the city and county governments.

“We’ve got to do better,” Morgan said. “I think life is about evolving, and you should always want to evolve and grow, and be willing to change.”