Matthew Rinker
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Matthew Rinker is running for election to the Atlanta City Council to represent At-large Post 1 in Georgia. He declared candidacy for the general election scheduled on November 4, 2025.[source]
Rinker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2025
See also: City elections in Atlanta, Georgia (2025)
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
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2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Matthew Rinker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rinker's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I’m Matt Rinker, a neighborhood leader and advocate running for Atlanta City Council, Post 1 At-Large. I currently serve as President of the Peoplestown Neighborhood Association, where I’ve worked to bring community voices into decisions on housing, infrastructure, and safety. I have previously served on the Mayor's Advisory Board as well.
I grew up in a working-class family and know firsthand the challenges of making ends meet. That experience drives my commitment to ensuring Atlanta works for everyone — not just the well-connected. Professionally, I’ve built a career in real estate and property management, overseeing teams and multi-million-dollar portfolios. That background has prepared me to manage complex budgets and hold the city government accountable.
I’m running because Atlanta deserves transparent leadership that shows up, listens, and delivers results. The incumbent has missed meetings, racked up ethics fines, and failed to take on the big challenges facing our city. I will fight for better transit, stronger public safety, and housing options at every income level.
Atlanta belongs to all of us, and I’m ready to work every day to make our city more affordable, safer, and stronger for every neighborhood. - I will fight to deliver rail along the Beltline, stronger public safety with leaders who show up to do the work, and housing options for Atlantans at every income level.
- I believe City Hall should work for every neighborhood, not just the politically connected. I will bring transparency, accountability, and accessibility to a seat that has been absent for too long.
- As President of the Peoplestown Neighborhood Association and member of the Mayor’s Advisory Board, I’ve already been working alongside neighbors to solve problems. I will bring that same energy and commitment citywide.
I am passionate about expanding transit options throughout the city and also ensuring our legacy residents can remain in their homes (and not be forced out because of property tax increases) while we welcome new residents to the city.
The Post 1 At-Large seat is one of only five positions elected citywide (Mayor, Council President, and three At-Large Council seats), making it uniquely important in shaping the direction of Atlanta. Unlike district representatives who focus on a single area, an At-Large councilmember must be accountable to all residents and balance priorities across every neighborhood. This office plays a central role in approving the city’s budget, overseeing public safety and utilities, shaping housing and zoning policy, and holding departments accountable.
But this influence only matters if the person in the seat actually does the work. Atlanta cannot afford citywide leadership that is absent when our water system is failing, our transit system is underfunded, and our housing costs are skyrocketing.
I’m running because I believe this office should be a voice for every neighborhood — one that shows up, listens, and fights for better transit, affordable housing, and a safer, more transparent Atlanta. I look up to several people - first, my parents. My mom was a public school teacher who went back to school after she had kids. She was one of those teachers who spent countless dollars making sure her students got the best. My dad was a member of the Steamfitters Union and later worked in the car industry. In his spare time, he volunteered as a wrestling and softball coach. Well after he retired, he continued to volunteer coaching well into his 70s, serving as a mentor to young kids.
I also look up to neighborhood leaders who fight for the underdog, like Ms. Sherise Brown of Peoplestown. She is always on the go and makes sure that the less advantaged among us have a voice.
Ethics and honesty are the two paramount principles an elected official must possess. Our city has a long history of corruption and the leaders of the future need to be honest with who is funding their campaigns and how they are spending our taxpayer dollars. For too long, the incumbent in this seat has not met those ideals.
Showing up, listening and then taking action are core responsibilities for someone elected to City Council. As a direct representative of thousands of citizens, it is important to be visible and hear directly from residents.
I want my legacy to be that I helped restore trust in City Hall and made Atlanta a city that works for everyone. Too often, politics in our city has been about personalities and power instead of showing up, listening, and delivering results. I want to be remembered as a someone who did the opposite — someone who treated this seat as a responsibility, not an entitlement.
My goal is to provide Atlanta with stronger transit connections, safer neighborhoods, and more housing options at every income level. I want future generations to say that we built a city where families could afford to stay, where every neighborhood was valued, and where leaders were accountable to the people.
The first impactful historical event in my lifetime that comes to mind was the Oklahoma City Bombing. I remember listening to the radio and hearing about it. I was 17 years old.
For several years in high school, I worked at Taco Johns (similar to Taco Bell). I was a cook and cashier. It wasn't glamourous by any means.
One of my favorite books is Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin. It’s a powerful short story that explores themes of race and injustice in a way that still resonates today.
It exposes the destructive power that prejudice can provide and the deep harm caused when someone is judged by race or class instead on the merit of who they are.
I appreciate this story because it reminds us that the fight for equity and fairness is not new — and that we have a responsibility to learn from the past so we don’t repeat it. While quirky, Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation is someone because she embodies enthusiasm, optimism, and a drive to serve her community. Even when she stumbles, her heart is always in the right place and she firmly believes in the power of government to create positive change. Plus it's just a funny show.
Public service should be about rolling up your sleeves, bringing people together.
Like many people, from time to time in my professional career, I faced challenges, including setbacks that forced me to rethink my path, rebuild, and push forward. Those moments weren’t easy, but they gave me resilience and empathy. I know what it feels like to struggle, to be underestimated, and to have to fight for your place at the table.
Those struggles are exactly why I’m running. I want to make sure Atlanta is a city where working families can thrive, where opportunity isn’t reserved for the few, and where our leaders fight for the people who need it most.
This office has the power to be a pivotal voice, not only at City Hall, but also across the state. Too often, legislators at the State Capitol view Atlanta as separate from the rest of the state. The At-Large representatives can assist the Mayor in building a coalition of legislators that champion Atlanta’s priorities while aligning them with the interests of the broader state.
I believe the experience of neighborhood leaders, like myself, is crucial to success in this role. Knowing the work that is happening in Atlanta's diverse and distinct neighborhoods is essential to understanding the fabric of our city.
The most important skills for an At-Large City Councilmember are the ability to listen, build coalitions, and navigate complex budgets and policies that affect the entire city. This role requires someone who can bring together diverse neighborhoods, balance competing priorities, and ensure every community feels represented.
Professional and financial expertise are also essential. Councilmembers oversee billions of dollars in city spending, from public safety to infrastructure and housing. In my career in real estate and property management, I’ve overseen multi-million-dollar portfolios, managed large teams, and delivered results on complex projects. That experience has prepared me to scrutinize budgets, demand accountability, and make responsible investments on behalf of all Atlantans.
Finally, integrity and consistency matter. Atlantans deserve leaders who will show up, do the work, and act transparently. Without those qualities, even the best policy ideas won’t get the follow-through they need to succeed. The Post 1 At-Large seat is unique because it represents every voter in Atlanta, not just one district. That citywide perspective gives both the responsibility and the opportunity to bring neighborhoods together, ensure equity across the city, and act as a bridge between local communities and city leadership.
This role is also one of the most important checks and balances in local government. An At-Large member has the ability to elevate citywide priorities and make sure no community is left behind.
When done well, this office can unify Atlanta’s diverse neighborhoods and help shape the city’s direction on the biggest challenges we face — from affordability to transportation to transparency. I've heard many personal stories - many resonate the same message - our seniors are worried about being priced out of their home due to rising property taxes. Others are frustrated by our traffic gridlock and the failure to move forward on major projects. The stories that touch me personally are more about the good that is happening everyday in our neighborhoods - like the Teensof2morrow project which helps get shoes for homeless teens or the Housing Justice League which has been helping our unhoused residents find long term stability housing.
One accomplishment I’m especially proud of is my work as President of the Peoplestown Neighborhood Association to make sure our community’s voice was heard during the Custer Avenue Stormwater Relief Project. For years, flooding had damaged homes and created unsafe conditions, but neighbors often felt ignored by City Hall. I helped organize residents, push for accountability from city agencies, and secure real progress toward long-overdue infrastructure improvements.
That experience showed me how powerful it can be when everyday people stand together and demand results. It also reinforced that leadership isn’t about titles - it’s about showing up, listening, and doing the hard work to make things better.
I'm proud of that accomplishment because while neighbors had differing opinions on the project, we were able to work together with the city to come up with some safeguards for everyone. Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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