Month: November 2020

Cobb schools spring semester choice portal opens Sunday

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Timber Ridge Elementary School, East Cobb schools, CCRPI

We noted earlier this month that parents of students in the Cobb County School District will be able to choose face-to-face or remote learning options from Nov. 15-29.

As that portal opens on Sunday, the district has provided some further information about the process, which operates the same as it did for the fall semester.

The spring semester runs from Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 through Wednesday, May 26, 2021, and the district says you can change your selection anytime during that Nov. 15-29 period at the Cobb Learning Everywhere portal.

After that, those decisions will be final, as they have been for the current semester. Per a district release, here are the selection steps:

  • 1. Make sure the adult who first enrolled each student (the enrolling adult) completes the choice process. Attempting to complete the process as another adult will not work.

  • 2. Use your preferred computing device to navigate to ParentVUE by clicking HERE or by opening the ParentVUE app on your mobile device.

  • 3. Log in with your user name and password. If you have forgotten your password, click the Forgot Password link on the login page.

  • 4. Once you are signed in to ParentVUE, direct your attention to the left-hand side menu and select the Back to School Choice menu item.

  • 5. On the Back to School Choice page, find each of your registered students listed, along with the two learning options (FACE-TO-FACE or continue FULL REMOTE) for each.

  • 6. Choose the option that best fits the needs of your student(s) and family.

  • As we continue to be committed to offering you choice, Cobb’s commitment to health and safety will continue as well. You can learn more about Cobb Schools’ enhanced health and safety protocols, which are keeping Cobb’s students as healthy and safe as possible, by clicking here.

  • We recognize that this school year has already been full of challenges. We know we cannot address every way COVID-19 has impacted your lives, but we can continue to give families safe and healthy face-to-face and remote classroom options for as long as public health conditions in Cobb County allow.

  • We sincerely thank you for your support and partnership as a member of the Cobb Schools Team and look forward to supporting your student(s) for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year.

Data released by the district before students returned to classes indicated that 52 percent of all students chose face-to-face learning, including 58 percent in elementary school, 54 percent in middle school and 42 percent in high school.

Two high schools in East Cobb reported the highest percentage of students who have gone back to classrooms: Pope (70.6 percent) and Lassiter (63.3 percent).

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Metaphysical shop Solstice Studio opens in East Cobb Saturday

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Submitted information and photo:India Leigh, Solstice Studio East Cobb opens

Fresh off its successful run as a pop-up shop at The Avenue East Cobb and just in time for the holidays, Solstice opens its new location on Nov. 14 in a suite on the third floor of the Synovus Building at 1200 Johnson Ferry Road in East Cobb. The popular shop has been reimagined as an inviting and intimate showroom featuring a carefully curated array of stones hand-selected from vendors across the world. For the novice or seasoned collector, Solstice provides a fresh twist on metaphysical with unique stone bracelets and pendants, along with sage, chimes, and eco-friendly gifts.

Beginning in 2021, the Solstice Studio will be hosting a full slate of very talented intuitives, including Marietta’s own India Leigh, who will be offering readings, events and classes on subjects relating to astrology, numerology, tarot, mediumship, stones, metaphysical healing and shamanism. Offerings are designed to welcome and intrigue those in the community who are ready to explore alternative ways of better knowing themselves and their world.  

Solstice officially opens its new doors to the public on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. for holiday shopping with 20 percent off the entire store. Intuitive coach and card reader India Leigh will be on hand for mini-readings from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Appointments are available to book at www.solstice.love. From Nov. 14 through the end of 2020, the Solstice Showroom & Studio will be open to the public on Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.  Private shopping appointments are also welcome. Visit www.solstice.love for more information.

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Rocky Mount ES choir offers virtual tribute on Veterans Day

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Rocky Mount choir Veterans Day tribute

In observation of Veterans Day, members of the Rocky Mount Elementary School choir came together—online—to offer a musical tribute to those serving in the U.S. armed forces.

The school is among those in the Cobb County School District that has had an in-person Veterans Day celebration in the past, so the students recorded this virtual rendition of “Veterans We Love You.”

According to a release from the Cobb County School District, the 35 students—from third through fifth grade—worked for weeks to get the song just right: “They may not have been able to meet in person for practices like in the past, but they wanted to keep the music alive.”

The district said the choir, under the direction of music teacher Andrew Geocaris, has been meeting on Wednesdays—which is a day for catch-up and independent learning this year.

He gave them individual feedback, and students submitted their solo performances through FlipGrid. Geocaris then compiled the final video with some light audio and video editing “to maintain the most authentic performance possible in the virtual medium.”

Here’s more from their teacher:

“I love the enthusiasm our students show when they have the chance to be a part of something new. Time and again, when a new club or opportunity arises, our students are eager to be a part of the next exciting moment at Rocky Mount. I often find that our students’ enthusiasm feeds my own, giving me both the energy and inspiration to come up with new ideas for the classroom and for chorus.”

He said he was worried that after having gone virtual in March, his students might have felt some screen fatigue, but said he was pleased more students signed up for the fall virtual choir than had taken part in the spring.

“Even if it means one more Zoom call, our students crave the feeling of connection and community that the fine arts provide.”

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Georgia to conduct hand recount of presidential voting

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Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Wednesday there will be a hand recount of around 5 million votes in the presidential race.Georgia recount presidential race, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

At a press conference on the steps of the state capitol in Atlanta, Raffensperger said he’s taking the rare step of ordering a hand recount, as well as an audit of paper ballots and recanvassing, as an “all-in-one process” to ensure an accurate and fair outcome.

“This will help build confidence,” said Raffensperger. “It will be a heavy lift, but we will work with the counties to get this done in time for state certification.”

He said Democratic former vice president Joe Biden has a lead of 14,111 votes over Republican President Donald Trump, whose campaign on Tuesday demanded a hand recount in Georgia.

Trump led by around 370,000 votes statewide at the end of election night. Biden has won 849,679 absentee votes that have been counted since then, compared to 451,240 for Trump.

The updated tallies can be found here; Biden has 49.52 percent of the vote and Trump has 49.24 percent, within the 0.5 percent range for a recount in Georgia. Biden got 56 percent of the vote in Cobb County, although most precincts in East Cobb favored Trump.

A hand recount—which is possible due to a 2019 change in state law requiring paper ballots for recounts—will take place in all 159 counties in Georgia. Raffensperger said 97 counties have certified results.

A hand recount is more expensive and time-consuming than an automatic recount conducted by a scanner, and it’s unclear how much that will cost, who will pay for it and how long it will take.

Georgia has to certify its presidential results by Nov. 20. After the hand count is complete, the losing candidate has two business days to request another recount that under state law must be done electronically.

Georgia has 16 electoral votes—the number of the state’s Congressional delegation of two U.S. Senators and 14 U.S. House members. The electoral college meetings will take place on Dec. 14.

Most of the major news outlets that have called the race for Biden have a current electoral college count of 290 for Biden to 217 for Trump, with Georgia and North Carolina still outstanding.

At least 270 electoral votes are needed to win the presidency.

“We are committed to counting every legal ballot,” Raffensperger said in a social media post after the press conference. “Georgia voters deserve accurate, secure results. We stand by our numbers.”

The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration is to scheduled to certify its election results Friday. When asked how Cobb Elections will be conducting that hand recount, and how that process may affect certification, Cobb County spokesman Ross Cavitt said he’s talked with Cobb Elections director Janine Eveler, and “they’re still trying to figure it out.”

UPDATE: Cobb County said late Wednesday afternoon that a “risk-limiting” audit of paper ballots will take begin Friday at 8 a.m. at Jim R. Miller Park Event Center. That’s an audit conducted to make sure if votes were tabulated correctly.

Raffensperger, a Republican former legislator, has come under fire for his handling of the presidential voting, but he’s said there has been no evidence of election fraud in Georgia.

Georgia’s Republican U.S. senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler—both of whom are in Jan. 5 runoffs—called for his resignation on Monday. But Raffensperger responded by saying that if there has been any illegal voting it “is unlikely” it would rise to the numbers to change the outcome in Georgia.

“My office will continue to investigate each and every instance of illegal voting. Every legal vote will count,” he said at Wednesday’s press conference. “We will continue to enforce the law.”

Georgia is one of a handful of states where presidential voting is still too close to declare a winner, or where votes are still being counted. Biden also leads in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada and Trump leads in North Carolina.

“This race has national significance,” Raffensperger said. “We get that.”

Biden made a victory speech on Saturday, but Trump is refusing to concede. He and his campaign have made allegations of voter fraud in some of those closely-contested states, including Georgia.

U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, a Republican who finished third behind Raphael Warnock and Loeffler in the U.S. Senate special election primary, said Raffensperger’s call for a hand recount is “a victory for transparency. A victory for election integrity. A victory for the American people.”

He’s leading the Trump recount effort in Georgia, and on social media he’s been frequently calling into doubt the election process here and in other states.

Some state Democrats, including 2018 gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, said Trump is only delaying the inevitable. “He lost, and he knows it,”said Abrams, one of Georgia’s 16 Democratic electors.

On Tuesday, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce, a Republican who was defeated in his re-election bid, said he finds it “extraordinary” that “we have people who question the integrity of the voting process—because they lost.”

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Cobb issues ‘Small Business Saturday’ proclamation for Nov. 28

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Cobb Small Business Saturday proclamation

Submitted information and photo:

Today, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, joined by the Cobb Chamber and the Cobb County Coalition of Business Associations proclaimed November 28 as “Small Business Saturday” in Cobb County, and urged all residents to support small businesses and merchants on this day and throughout the year.

“At the Cobb Chamber, the strength of our small business community is a top priority. And, this year, Cobb’s small business owners need our community’s support and patronage now more than ever, said Sharon Mason, President and CEO of the Cobb Chamber. “Small Business Saturday is a great way to unite our neighbors in investing in local merchants, shops and restaurants. Join us in supporting our local small businesses not just on this day, but all year long.”

Since its inception in 2010, Small Business Saturday, backed by American Express, has promoted the significance of supporting small, independently owned businesses across the country. Falling between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is dedicated to supporting the diverse range of local businesses that help create jobs, boost the economy, and keep communities thriving across the country.

Per the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are currently 30.7 million small businesses in the country, representing 99.7 percent of all businesses with paid employees. From 2000-2018, small businesses were responsible for nearly 64.9 percent of net new jobs created.  Sixty-two percent of U.S. small businesses reported the need for consumer spending to return to pre-COVID levels by the end of 2020 in order to remain in business.

Small Business Saturday is supported by advocacy groups, as well as public and private organizations across the country. In 2019, U.S. consumers reported spending a record high of an estimated $19.6 billion at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday. Ninety-five percent of consumers who shopped on Small Business Saturday said that it encourages them to shop or eat at small, independently-owned businesses all year long, not just during the holiday season.

For more information about Small Business Saturday and how to participate, visit shopsmall.com or contact Pam Woo, of the Small Business Saturday Coalition, at pwoo@wipp.org. 

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Funding OK’d for Holly Springs-Old Canton traffic project

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Holly Springs-Old Canton traffic project

Cobb commissioners on Tuesday approved a $690,809 contract for traffic improvements at the intersection of Old Canton Road and Holly Springs Road.

Funding for the project is provided in the 2016 Cobb Special Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Glosson was the low bidder against six other companies, and the measure was approved by commissioners on their consent agenda.

A total of $1 million was budgeted for the project, which will include the construction of pedestrian refuge islands, a guardrail, signage and striping at a three-way intersection.

About $170,000 has been spent in initial costs, and another $27,000 will be spent to relocate water lines (to be paid with Cobb Water System funds).

Initially the project called for a roundabout, but that option was removed after feedback from the community and Cobb DOT staff after open house sessions.

What’s shown above is a concept map; to see a larger view click here.

The project is expected to take around six months once construction begins.

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Ousted Cobb Commission Chairman pledges ‘transition in grace’

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Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce

A week after he lost his re-election bid to one of his colleagues, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce pledged to assist her as she is set to take office in January.

He also expressed dismay over heated disputes involving the presidential election, both at the national and state levels.

At the end of Tuesday’s Cobb Board of Commissioners regular meeting, Boyce congratulated Commissioner Lisa Cupid, who defeated him with 53 percent of the vote.

He’s a Republican who like other countywide GOP office holders was swept out in a Democratic surge. Cupid, currently the only Democrat on the five-member board, will lead a 3-2 Democratic majority when she takes over.

Noting that more than 300,000 people voted in Cobb County, Boyce said that “I think that’s a great example of true democracy in action.

“I think it’s also important as part of this process that we have a transition in grace. That we acknowledge the voice of the people, we hear them and we move on.”

He said it’s important for Cobb citizens “that this message gets out loud and clear to our national and state leaders that this transition is part of the election process.

“I find it extraordinary that four years ago nobody complained about the results of the election, and four years later we have people who question the integrity of the voting process—because they lost.

“That doesn’t reflect well of leadership. That doesn’t happen in Cobb County. That’s not going to happen in Cobb County as long as I’m the chairman.”

Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are facing Jan. 5 runoffs against Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively, and as the close voting in Georgia in the presidential race appears to have set up a recount.

On Monday, Loeffler and Perdue issued a joint statement demanding that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger resign over his handling of the elections.

Without citing any specifics, they accused him of mismanagement and a lack of transparency. Raffensperger responded by saying that if there has been any illegal voting it “is unlikely” it would rise to the numbers to change the outcome in Georgia.

“As a Republican, I am concerned about Republicans keeping the U.S. Senate,” Raffensperger said. “I recommend that Senators Loeffler and Perdue start focusing on that.”

(Loeffler and Perdue are holding a runoff rally Wednesday morning at Cobb Republican headquarters in Marietta.)

Democratic president-elect Joe Biden leads Republican president Donald Trump in Georgia by around 10,000 votes, after Trump led by more than 370,000 at the end of election night.

But as has been the case in other states, notably Pennslyvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, Biden moved ahead based largely on absentee ballots.

Biden made a victory speech on Saturday but Trump has not conceded, as his campaign is alleging voter fraud in those states and elsewere. He’s also refusing to cooperate in any transition efforts.

Boyce, who defeated then-chairman Tim Lee in 2016, is a retired Marine colonel who mentioned that it’s Veterans Day on Wednesday, “a great time to remember what we stand for. Many of us fought for freedom and still fight for freedom we all fight for freedom in our own ways.”

He said the best way to to that “is to acknowledge the will and voice of the people and to continue this transition in grace.”

Cupid will become the first Democrat to head county government since longtime chairman Ernest Barrett retired in 1984, and will be the first woman and African-American to hold the position.

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Cobb schools post record graduation rate, surpass state average

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East Cobb seniors caps gowns

The Cobb County School District said Tuesday that its Class of 2020 senior class—marked with interruptions due to COVID-19 closures—has posted a graduation rate of 88.6 percent, its highest ever.

Those graduates also surpassed the Georgia graduation rate of 83.8 percent.

According to a release issued by the district, 10 of the 16 high schools had graduation rates of 91 percent or higher, including three in East Cobb.

Lassiter was second in the district at 97.6 percent; Walton was third at 97.5 percent; and Pope was fifth at 95.8 percent.

Kell’s graduation rate of 92.4 percent is 3.1 percent higher than 2019, and is one of the biggest improvements in the district.

Over the last five years, Cobb’s overall graduation rate has climbed 7.2 percent, and the other two East Cobb high schools have seen continued progress.

Sprayberry’s graduation rate of 89 percent is up 17 percent from 2015, and Wheeler’s was 89.5 percent this year. That’s up 2.8 percent from last year, part of a gain of 10.1 percent over the last five years.

CCSD graduation rate chart class of 2020
For a larger view, click here.

The graduation rates are based on federal calculations of the number of students in a senior class who are enrolled for at least one day during an academic year.

The district compiled what it calls the “real” graduation rate of students who enroll over one, two, three and four years (see chart above).

“No matter the challenges this year, our teachers and principals have helped a record number of Cobb students reach the graduation stage,” said Cobb Schools Superintendent Chris Ragsdale in a statement.

Said Dr. Chris Richie, Lassiter principal:

“Over the years, we’ve had a focused collaborative effort to make sure all of our students are working toward their academic goals. The message begins in our feeder schools and is reinforced throughout our community. Setting college and career-ready goals is a consistent theme that our students, parents, teachers, and community embrace. Graduation rate is a tremendous reflection of the great work and values that our entire learning community places on education.”

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Cobb Parks and Recreation director named deputy county manager

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Submitted information and photo:Jimmy Gisi, Cobb deputy county manager

Dr. Jackie McMorris, Cobb’s county manager, has named James (Jimmy) Gisi as the county’s deputy county manager. Gisi is filling the position after the Board of Commissioners appointed McMorris county manager last April. He will step into the new position on November 15.

Gisi has served as the director of Cobb’s PARKS department since December 2016. He previously held the P.A.R.K.S. director position for 10 years before serving as the executive director of the Georgia Recreation and Park Association. In addition to his more than 33 years of government expertise, Gisi holds a Bachelor’s degree in recreation and leisure studies from the University of Georgia and a Master’s degree in public administration from Valdosta State University.

“Jimmy has worked for the county in various capacities and always stands ready and willing to help anytime we need his assistance,” said McMorris. “His experience working in parks and recreation, as well as government services and legislation, is going to be a great asset to help move the county forward for generations to come.”

“It is truly an honor to be selected as Cobb County’s next deputy county manager. I appreciate the confidence and trust the county manager has placed in me and I look forward to joining her management team,” Gisi said. “Cobb County is truly a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family. Our employees are the best at what they do and we should always strive to maintain our high standards while also seeking to raise the bar of service delivery.”

A longtime resident of Cobb County, Gisi resides in Powder Springs with Angela, his wife of 36 years. He is an ardent college football fan, avid hunter and spoils his three (soon to be four) grandsons anyway he can.

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Johnson Ferry-Shallowford proposal calls for church, townhomes

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Johnson Ferry-Shallowford proposal

Zoning notice signs have gone up along the southwest corner of the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford intersection, and the proposal is a major one that’s been placed on the December calendar.

A little more than 33 acres is being proposed for a mixed-use development that’s quite different than what came before Cobb commissioners before being withdrawn in early 2017.

That was for single-family homes and townhomes by CalAtlantic Group, a residential developer, and drew some vocal community opposition.

What’s been filed with the Cobb Zoning Office would include a megachurch, restaurant and retail space and 125 townhomes.

(You can read the initial filings by clicking here.)

The applicant is different, too: North Point Ministries, Inc., which has seven non-denominational churches in metro Atlanta. The founder is Andy Stanley, son of retired First Baptist Church of Atlanta pastor Charles Stanley.

Since its founding in 1995, North Point has added churches in Buckhead, Gwinnett County, Woodstock and Decatur.

This one would be what North Point is calling its “East Cobb campus.” According to an initial site plan filed with the county, it would be located right on the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford corner, with parking fronting both roads.

The site plan calls for a parking deck facing Shallowford, and parking along Johnson Ferry also is being designated for “future commercial” space that would have restaurant and retail uses; neither of those components have any further details for now.

Those filings also don’t indicate the proposed capacity inside the church—the flagship North Point Community Church in Alpharetta can hold up to 3,000 people, as does North Point’s Buckhead Church.

Z-72 large site plan
For a larger view, click here. Shallowford Road is at the left; Johnson Ferry Road is at the top.

The rezoning request also calls for 125 townhomes in the back of the development, on either side of Waterfront Drive, under the RM-8 zoning category. The townhomes would have a minimum size of 1,800 square feet.

Most of that land is currently zoned R-20 and is where single-family homes now exist.

The property would be divided by an existing stormwater management area that includes a dry lake. That’s been referred to as Maddox Lake—it was located behind the now-demolished home of former Gov. Lester Maddox along Johnson Ferry.

There aren’t any renderings, elevations or variance requests that are included for now in the rezoning request.

The North Point Ministries rezoning request comes three months after Cobb commissioners approved the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford master plan.

In that plan, several redevelopment options for the southwest intersection of “JOSH” were detailed, most of them of the mixed-use variety.

None of them included a facility for religious worship. The request states that single-family residential use “is economically unfeasible” and that the zoning proposal comforms to the county’s future land use map.

Nearly 30 parcels of land making up the North Point request have been assembled by The ‘True Vine’ Experience Foundation, Inc.; Sara M. Sweeney and Hanna Land Company, Inc.

The latter is headed by Fred Hanna, an East Cobb resident who’s the founder of the Frederick J. Hanna & Associates debt-collection law firm.

The ‘True Vine’ Experience is a pastoral ministry founded by Hanna’s wife, Lynn Hanna, and he’s listed as its CFO and secretary in non-profit filings.

Sweeney is a chiropractor whose practice is at 4260 Shallowford Road, one of the parcels in the assemblage. Hanna interests have owned some of the parcels as early as 2004.

The Cobb Zoning Office hasn’t yet released a detailed analysis of the rezoning request with recommendations.

The Cobb Planning Commission is scheduled to hear the case on Dec. 1 and the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Dec. 15.

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East Cobb Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration to go virtual

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Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service

Submitted information:

For the past 15 years, people from dozens of faith-based groups have gathered together at Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta, GA to celebrate Thanksgiving by sharing uplifting messages, singing and laughing together, and supporting interfaith charities. In 2020, this unifying event will be hosted online with inspiring speakers, beautiful music, and an online chat to share your feelings and thoughts.

This year’s theme, “Act Now: Silence Is Not An Option,” is the inspiration for messages from various religious and community leaders about speaking up for compassion and humanity, a common value of people of all faiths. The event will also spotlight the non-profit The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, one of the recipients of donations made to the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Give-A-Gobble program.

Event facilitator Hal Schlenger says, “Our transition from a large in-person gathering to a virtual event is an example of the multiple religious’ belief that, ‘Silence is not an option.’ Christian, Jews, Muslims, Hindu and so many others believe that we are responsible for our words, our actions, and the success of our community. Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.’ Now is the time not to be silent.” 

Please join us on Thursday, Nov. 19th for this one-of-a-kind 16th annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration—an event organized by twenty faith-based groups in the Cobb, Fulton and Cherokee counties—because people of faith need to stand together and serve others now more than ever. The event will take place online at http://bit.ly/TKEstream at 6:30pm for musical performances, and the program begins at 7pm.

As we gather together, we collect funds through the Give-A-Gobble program to purchase turkeys and Thanksgiving dinners for our neighbors in need.

Please donate today at: https://www.kolemeth.net/gobble. Give-A-Gobble’s  success depends directly on your generous donations of which 100% goes toward purchasing turkeys, food staples, and Thanksgiving dinners to those in need. The organizations we support that provide help to those in need during Thanksgiving all promote peace and good-will, and this year’s featured organization, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, is prominently included.  

Participating religions in this year’s Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration:

  •  Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
  • Art of Living Foundation
  • Baha’i Faith Center
  • East Cobb Islamic Center
  • East Cobb UMC
  • Emerson Universalist Unitarian
  • Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta
  • Interfaith Community Initiatives
  • Islamic Center of Marietta
  • Masjid Al-Muminum
  • Pilgrimage United Church of Christ
  • Roswell Community Masjid
  • Sandy Springs Christian Church
  • Sikh Educational Welfare Association
  • St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church
  • Temple Beth Tikvah
  • Temple Kol Emeth
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Roswell and Marietta
  • Transfiguration Catholic Church
  • Unity North Spiritual Community

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Cobb Republican Party to hold U.S. Senate campaign rally

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Both U.S. Senate races from Georgia are headed to Jan. 5 runoffs, and those campaigns are already getting underway.Cobb Republican U.S. Senate rally

On Wednesday the Cobb County Republican Party will be holding a “Save Our Majority” rally in support of GOP senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler.

They will both be in attendance at the Cobb Republican headquarters (799 Roswell St.), and special guest is Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

The rally begins at 10 a.m. and you can register to attend by clicking here.

Republicans are holding to a tight lead in control of the Senate after last Tuesday’s elections. After just missing winning without a runoff last week, Perdue is facing Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Loeffler will be facing Democrat Raphael Warnock, who got the most votes in Tuesday’s “jungle” primary.

Cobb figures to be a battleground, especially after Ossoff and Warnock got more votes in the county that their Republican foes.

Ossoff got 54 percent of the Cobb vote, while Warnock got 37 percent of the vote compared to 25 percent for Loeffler.

She was quickly endorsed by Congressman Doug Collins, a Republican who finished third in the jungle primary.

(Democratic president-elect Joe Biden also won the county with 56 percent of the vote, although the presidential voting in Georgia appears headed for a recount. Biden has a roughly 10,000-vote lead after final votes were being counted over the weekend).

Loeffler and Perdue have demanded that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger resign over the handling of the presidential vote.

On Monday they issued a statement accusing him of mismanagement and lack of transparency and said Georgia’s election system was an embarrassment.

They didn’t specify what those failures were. Raffensperger is a pro-Trump Republican who was a state legislator and member of the Johns Creek City Council.

He said he won’t be resigning and that he’ll continue to make sure that all legal votes are counted, and illegal votes aren’t.

He said that if was any illegal voting it “is unlikely” it would rise to the numbers to change the outcome in Georgia.

“As a Republican, I am concerned about Republicans keeping the U.S. Senate,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “I recommend that Senators Loeffler and Perdue start focusing on that.”

The Trump campaign has been alleging fraud in states were the vote has been close, including Pennsylvania, which was called for Biden by news outlets on Saturday. Biden gave a victory speech on Saturday but Trump has not conceded.

There will be a Dec. 7 deadline to register to vote for the Georgia Senate runoffs, and anyone who wants to get a mail-in absentee ballot can request one starting Nov. 18.

The runoffs will have early voting starting Dec. 14; more details in Cobb are forthcoming.

The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration will be certifying election results on Friday.

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Cobb commissioner-elect: ‘We can overcome every challenge’

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Jerica Richardson, Cobb Commission candidate

After soaking in the reality of winning her first stab at public office—and culminating an historic election in Cobb County in the process—District 2 commissioner-elect Jerica Richardson admitted there’s some sobering work ahead for her and her colleagues in the coming months.

She’s one of two new faces on the Cobb Board of Commissioners, which in January will have a Democratic majority and will be all female.

That majority also is made of black women, including Richardson, a 31-year-old Equifax manager, who edged out Republican Fitz Johnson in this week’s elections.

Chair-elect Lisa Cupid defeated incumbent Mike Boyce and Monique Sheffield was elected to succeed Cupid as District 4 commissioner in South Cobb.

As of Saturday, and with a few absentee and provisional ballots to count, Richardson was leading Johnson by 1,224 votes, 53,642 to 52,418 (updated results can be found here).

Johnson essentially conceded on Thursday, saying “it doesn’t look great.”

“I was hearing from a lot of people that [the closeness of the results] was because of the quality of the candidates,” said Richardson, who called Johnson “a Cobb County success story. He ran a real cordial race.”

After running the campaigns of Cobb State Rep. Erick Allen and Cobb school board member Jaha Howard, Richardson said she viewed her maiden campaign as an effort to “build bridges in deep waters.”

It was among various metaphors she’s used in her “Connecting Cobb” theme of her campaign (previous ECN story here).

In succeeding retiring commissioner Bob Ott, she’ll inherit a distinct district in itself. In includes most of East Cobb below Sandy Plains Road and the Cumberland-Vinings-Smyrna area.

Johnson won most of the East Cobb precincts, and Richardson prevailed in the latter.

“Colors on a map don’t tell the whole story of a community,” said Richardson, who lived in a neighborhood near The Avenue in East Cobb and now resides in the Delk Road area.

Part of her campaign outreach, she said, has been to “cut through echo chambers. If this is an opportunity to build those bridges then this is that year.”

Tackling a county budget affected by the continuing economic fallout from COVID-related lockdowns and other consequences of the pandemic loom large.

“There are going to be some really hard conversations,” Richardson said. “What are our priorities? Our focus? Our vision. And we’ll have to make decisions based on that.”

Among short-term priorities, she favors closing the Sterigenics plant “until further notice.” Homeowners living near the Smyrna-based company that sterilizes medical equipment have filed a lawsuit over what they claim have been cancer-causing emissions.

On a broader and longer-term scale, she said it’s going to be vital to bring as many individuals and areas of Cobb to the table to hash them out, to “build the synergy” of a community she said hasn’t been fully represented on the board.

“The commissioners haven’t had a united vision,” she said, noting that in recent years, it’s been four Republicans and one Democrat—Cupid—who’s often voted alone.

“I don’t see people as red or blue, I see them as an individual,” Richardson said.

During the campaign, Richardson set up some “open office hours” to get to know voters—in a socially-distanced manner—and plans to keep doing so.

She campaigned on a few occasions with Howard, who’s become a firebrand on the school board, angering his Republican colleagues and most recently, taking a knee during the pledge of allegiance at a meeting.

Richardson said “that’s not my method, but I will be having conversations with different groups of people.”

She said Howard was responding to school parents who weren’t being heard, “but he was always willing to listen.”

Richardson acknowledged that a new dynamic on the commission will take some getting used to in Cobb County, which has been dominated by a white, conservative and mostly male political establishment for decades.

“When things change, there’s a lot of fear and uncertainty,” she said. “The only way we’re able to overcome the challenges that we have is to focus on love,” and what she says are the three unifying things that are of utmost importance: expanding liberty, empathy and opportunity” for Cobb citizens.

“If we can do those things, we can overcome every challenge,” Richardson said. “I really believe it.”

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East Cobb legislative incumbents, McBath win re-election

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Kay Kirkpatrick, East Cobb city map
State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick has won a second full term.

Although some of them got a scare—including one of the state’s most influential lawmakers—all members of East Cobb’s legislative contingent were re-elected this week.

In the race targeted as part of an effort to flip party control of the state house to the Democrats, Republican Rep. Sharon Cooper appears to have pulled out another close re-election battle over Democrat Luisa Wakeman.

As of Saturday morning, Cooper leads Wakeman by 481 votes, with the final absentee and provisional ballots still being counted.

It’s not clear how many there are, and how many may be in District 43, which includes part of East Cobb and some of Sandy Springs.

It’s the district Cooper has represented since 1997, and she serves as the Chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee.

While Cooper claimed victory on Wednesday, Wakeman initially did not concede. On Friday, she acknowledged that “it appears as if we will fall just short.” She congratulated Cooper and said “I was so encouraged to see you campaign on funding schools and expanding Medicaid for women in need of maternal care. My hope is that you will use this term in office to continue advancing these progressive causes. Georgia is counting on you.”

The Cooper-Wakeman rematch was one of the key races Democrats were targeting in a high-stakes, and high-spending election.

The candidates raised more than $500,000 combined, but Democrats have flipped only one of the 16 seats they needed to win to end Republican control.

State House results

District 37

  • Mary Frances Williams (D, incumbent): 15,931 (54%)
  • Rose Wing (R): 13,591 (46%)

District 43

  • Sharon Cooper (R, incumbent): 15,920 (50.7%)
  • Luisa Wakeman (D): 15,439 (49.2%)

District 44

  • Don Parsons (R, incumbent): 16,978 (51.8%)
  • Connie DiCicco (D): 15,606 (48%)

District 45

  • Matt Dollar (R, incumbent): 19,273 (54.8%)
  • Sara Tindall Ghazal (D): 15,902 (45.2%)

District 46

  • John Carson (R, incumbent): 21,680 (61.5%)
  • Caroline Holko (D): 15,583 (38.5%)

In the Georgia State Senate District 32 race, Republican incumbent Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick was facing Democrat Christine Triebsch for the third time in four years.

They first met in a 2017 special election to succeed former Sen. Judson Hill. Kirkpatrick earned a first full term in 2018, and on Tuesday the early results were close.

But Kirkpatrick earned a comfortable victory to retain the seat that includes most of East Cobb and some of Sandy Springs.

District 32

  • Kay Kirkpatrick (R, incumbent): 63,221 (56%)
  • Christine Triebsch (D): 49,859 (44%)
U.S. Rep Lucy McBath, gun violence research funding, McBath border-funding vote
U.S. Rep Lucy McBath is going back to Washington for a second term.

The 6th Congressional District race was also a rematch, as Republican former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel was trying to reclaim the seat from Democrat Lucy McBath, who won in a 2018 cliffhanger.

McBath has been the first Democrat to hold the seat in 40 years, and it was targeted by national Republicans in their bid to win back control of the House.

While the GOP did flip some House seats, Democrats will maintain their majority and their ranks will include McBath, who claimed her re-election thanks to strong results in the Fulton and DeKalb portions of the district.

Handel won the East Cobb area, as she did in 2018, but only with 51 percent of the vote there.

  • Lucy McBath (D, incumbent): 215,680 (54.6%)
  • Karen Handel (R): 179,398 (45.4%)

For full results of these races, click here.

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Banks wins 4th term as Cobb school board stays in GOP hands

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Cobb school board GOP majority

Cobb Board of Education member David Banks was targeted in both the primary and general election this year, criticized as being out of touch and insensitive to minority concerns in the Cobb County School District.

The East Cobb Republican had his closest challenge yet on Tuesday from Democratic first-time candidate Julia Hurtado. She said Cobb County has “outgrown” Banks, a retired technology consultant whom some have accused of falling asleep during school board meetings.

After trailing through election-day results, however, Banks bucked the absentee-balloting trend that favored Democrats in Cobb County and pulled out a 2,639-vote win to earn a fourth term.

He was one of three incumbent Republican males who won re-election over Democratic women, meaning that the GOP will hold on to its 4-3 majority on the Cobb school board.

Banks won 21 of the 27 precincts in Post 5—which comprises the Pope and Lassiter clusters, and some of the Walton and Wheeler areas—and captured 52 percent of the vote, which was the lowest for him since he first was first elected in 2008.

“I was expecting 70 percent, but a win is a win,” said Banks, the board’s vice chairman this year. (Full results can be seen by clicking here.)

More Elections Coverage

Chairman Brad Wheeler of West Cobb also had a close contest, but was able to win by 1,800 votes, also against a first-time Democratic candidate.

The Democratic wins in countywide races didn’t filter down to the three contested school board races (another board seat was secured in the primary by Democrat Tre’ Hutchins, who will succeed outgoing member David Morgan from Post 3 in South Cobb).

Banks couldn’t resist stirring up the partisan pot in victory.

“I really hope people aren’t trying to believe in socialism,” he said. When asked who those people might be, Banks said “anybody who voted for Democrats. Why cut your own throat?”

Banks spent little and campaigned even less, using the reach of his e-mail newsletter and distributing some yard signs to get out the word about his campaign.

He was dismissive of Hurtado, whose daughter is a Sedalia Park Elementary School student.

“I didn’t pay any attention to what she said,” Banks said.

He did mention a concession statement Hurtado posted on social media, saying that she contacted Banks after the election results were in, and reminded him, among other things, that “I am going to be the airhorn that wakes him up every time he snoozes on our kids and our teachers.

“We’ve built an unprecedented movement and have already ignited so many important conversations that were never part of East Cobb before; I know we’ll continue to make change together, even if we have to go around him to do so.”

She lashed out not just against Banks.

“The men who will be keeping their seats on the school board couldn’t stick to the issues because they didn’t have anything productive to contribute to the conversation. They chose to focus on partisan politics rather than stuff of substance; I thought we as a community had evolved past that, but the demographics just aren’t there yet. These men went negative because they only know how to lead through fear.

“They spread misinformation and ran poorly-produced attack ads against a bunch of moms. In a school board race. They should be ashamed of themselves. I hope they’ll consider their very narrow wins as a referendum on this behavior. There may not be more of us yet, but there are too many of us to ignore, and we won’t tolerate this kind of behavior. Our kids deserve better.”

Among the attacks against Hurtado was a video ad that quoted her in an online candidates forum, saying she supported changing the name of Wheeler High School and favored revisiting the county’s popular senior tax exemption from school taxes.

Banks said he wasn’t involved in the ad, but didn’t like what he said was a “nasty” response from Hurtado, a “nasty threatening statement she made.”

Banks came under fire during the campaign from Democratic board member Charisse Davis for comments he made about racial and cultural issues in the Cobb school district, which has a majority-minority enrollment.

Davis said Banks was “spewing racist trash,” including comments he made about Cobb being endangered by “white flight” he cited in other metro Atlanta school districts.

He reiterated that concern after his re-election victory, and said that with a continued Republican school board majority, the Cobb school district can continue to have a “forward-thinking learning environment.

“If it had gone the other way, we’d be headed in the direction of Atlanta and DeKalb,” Banks said.

He said the biggest challenge the Cobb school district faces now is “how we manage getting back the learning process. We can do this more than one way.”

With the Cobb school district offering face-to-face and remote options for students this year, Banks said better integrating those programs will be critical.

He does support full face-to-face learning at the elementary school level, but believes there can be more of a mix of virtual options at the middle- and high school levels.

“Virtual doesn’t work for everybody,” he said. “Our job will be to figure out what works best for each student. There are many opportunities we haven’t explored yet.”

Hurtado thanked Davis and Jaha Howard, another board member Banks has lashed out against over the last two years. He’s not optimistic the tenor of a fractious Cobb school board will improve anytime soon.

“As long as those two Democrats continue to create chaos and not work for the best interests of the students, I don’t see anything changing,” Banks said.

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East Cobb food scores: Frankie’s Italian; Lemon Grass; more

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East Cobb Food Scores, Frankie’s Italian Restaurant
The following East Cobb food scores from Nov. 2-6 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

China Great Wall
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 302
November 4, 2020 Score: 91, Grade: A

Dickerson Middle School
855 Woodlawn Drive
November 2, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Dodgen Middle School
1725 Bill Murdock Road
November 6, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Duck Donuts
1281 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 116
November 2, 2020 Score: 99, Grade: A

East Cobb Fit Nutrition Club
2145 Roswell Road, Suite 130
November 3, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Frankie’s Italian Restaurant
3100 Roswell Road
November 5, 2020 Score: 96, Grade: A

J. Christopher’s East Lake Pavilions
2100 Roswell Road, Suite 500
November 3, 2020 Score: 93, Grade: A

Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant
2145 Roswell Road, Suite 190
November 3, 2020 Score: 90, Grade: A

Los Bravos Mexican Restaurant
1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 42
November 6, 2020 Score: 95, Grade: A

Moxie Burger
255 Village Parkway, Suite 110
November 6, 2020 Score: 92, Grade: A

Sedalia Park Elementary School
2230 Lower Roswell Road
November 6, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Sope Creek Elementary School
3320 Paper Mill Road
November 5, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Subway
2520 E. Piedmont Road, Suite A
November 6, 2020 Score: 99, Grade: A

Subway
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 301
November 6, 2020 Score: 99, Grade: A

Timber Ridge Elementary School
5000 Timber Ridge Road
November 6, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Tritt Elementary School
4435 Post Oak Tritt Road
November 5, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Willy’s Mexicana Grill
4250 Roswell Road, Suite 120
November 3, 2020 Score: 95, Grade: A

Winston’s Food & Spirits
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 101
November 4, 2020 Score: 78, Grade: C

Zaxby’s 
2981 Delk Road
November 2, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

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32 Cobb schools reporting COVID cases as total passes 500

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The Cobb County School District has reported more than 500 COVID-19 cases among students and staff since July 1, according to new figures posted on Friday.Cobb County School District, Cobb schools dual enrollment summit

The exact total is 510, according to the update, which is posted on the district’s website.

The district has been updating that figure weekly since the first week of face-to-face learning began last month.

When elementary students returned in the first phase of reopening, there had been 287 COVID cases reported.

Since the campuses reopened for classes, there have been 223 reported cases, which don’t break down specific numbers of students and staff.

The current week’s total is 67 more than last week and includes cases reported at 32 elementary and middle schools.

Ten or fewer cases were reported at each school, which has been the case since the district began posting. The district does not disclose the exact number at each school when the threshold is at or under 10.

Nine of those schools are in East Cobb, including three that had no reported previous cases.

They are Addison ES, Sope Creek ES and Dodgen MS.

Other East Cobb schools with reported cases this week, and which have reported cases in previous weeks, are Brumby ES, East Side ES, Tritt ES, Daniell MS, East Cobb MS and Mabry MS.

Cobb high school students returned for face-to-face learning on Thursday; previously the district began posting COVID case figures for elementary and middle schools at the end of the second week of students’ return to campus.

As of Thursday there have been 22,836 COVID cases in Cobb County since March, and 469 deaths. In East Cobb, more than 5,000 cases have been reported and nearly 100 deaths.

At one point the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 population in Cobb dropped just below 100, which is considered high community spread.

As of Thursday, that two-week figure is 171 cases per 100,000 people. That’s been a key metric used by Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale. He ordered the start of the school year to be all online when that average was in the 300-400 range, then called for a phased reopening when the average dropped between 100-200.

In explaining its COVID reporting procedures, the Cobb school district said that in accordance with student and health privacy laws, “the Georgia Department of Public Health recommends refraining from publicly publishing numbers of cases or quarantined students or staff that are less than 10 unless the number is 0.”

Cobb and Douglas Public health will “communicate confirmed cases to affected students/staff/ parents,” according to CCSD protocols.

Those guidelines also state that those who test positive “will isolate until 10 consecutive days have passed from their positive COVID-19 test and they are asymptomatic.”

The district details health and safety protocols in this FAQ and encourages parents to follow a daily well-being checklist before sending students to school. More health and safety information can be found here.

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Cobb Elections settling final ballots, counting provisionals

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cobb advance voting, Cobb voter registration deadline, Walton and Dickerson PTSA candidates forum

Here’s an update from Cobb County government as of 10:30 Friday morning:

  • Cobb Elections workers are working with the bi-partisan panel to adjudicate the last few ballots under investigation.

  • They have 25 ballots left to adjudicate. Another 50 cured ballots will be processed only after confirming those voters are NOT on the list of those who voted on election day.

  • There are 906 provisional ballots pending. Voters have until the end of the day today to provide ID if they didn’t have it at the polls, sign the absentee envelope if there was a missing signature or provide more evidence if the ballot was identified as having a signature mismatch. Those voters were contacted by letter, email, or phone call.

Earlier Friday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said there are 8,197 votes left to count in the state, including 700 in Cobb.

The majority of those are in Gwinnett (4,800), which like Cobb has been surging for Democrats in recent elections.

As of 10:30 a.m., Democratic former vice president Joe Biden took the lead from Republican President Donald Trump overnight Friday, by 1,098 votes, with Georgia’s 16 electoral votes up for grabs.

As of 10:30 a.m., Biden had 2,449,590 votes to 2,448,492 for Trump.

That’s a difference of 1,098 votes.

Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue also was trying to avoid a runoff with Democrat Jon Ossoff. At 10:30 a.m. Perdue has 49.84 percent of the vote to Ossoff’s 47.84 percent.

The results from those races are being updated here.

 

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Walton marching band to hold final 2020 recycling event Saturday

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Submitted information:

Leaders of the Walton Marching Raider Band have announced that their final recycling event of the year – known for accepting metal, electronics and paint – will be held this Saturday, November 7th. Proceeds support the marching band program and help provide a high-quality experience for East Cobb students attending George H. Walton Comprehensive High School. 

The final recycling event of 2020 will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2020 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Walton High School, 1590 Bill Murdock Rd, Marietta, GA 30062. 

Support of the event is especially needed this year due to the novel coronavirus and its impact on regular band fundraising activities.  

All residents and businesses are welcome to donate and support this Walton Marching Raider Band event. People who have cleaned their homes during the pandemic and don’t know what to do with the metal, electronics and paint they want to dispose of and local businesses who are in the same situation are all welcome to support the event.  

The Walton Marching Raider Band is participating in a limited number of school events and following stringent protocols including wearing masks and being physically distanced during outside performances.  

Here’s more information, including a list of items that will be accepted and how you can pay; the cost is a $10 donation per car.

 

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2nd Georgia Senate runoff looms as presidential race closes

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Ga. Senate runoff

UPDATED, SATURDAY, 3 P.M.

Georgia will have two U.S. Senate runoffs on Jan. 5 that could determine which party gains control in that chamber.

Republican Sen. David Perdue was at 49.78 percent of the vote in his race against Democrat Jon Ossoff.

At the same time, the Georgia presidential race could be headed for a recount, with Joe Biden holding a roughly 7,500-vote lead over Donald Trump.

The results from those races are being updated here.

As final votes were being counted in Georgia, news outlets began calling the presidential race for Biden based on vote-counting in his home state of Pennsylvania.

If that holds up, that would give Biden 290 electoral votes to 214 for Trump. Presidential candidates need 270 votes to win.

Georgia, Arizona and Nevada were the other states that remain too close to call.

Trump led Biden in Georgia by 370,000 votes on election night, but absentee ballots have heavily been in favor of Biden.

Biden and Ossoff also won Cobb County easily, as did Raphael Warnock, the first-place finisher in a “jungle primary” special election in the other U.S. Senate race.

Warnock, the minister of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta—the church of Martin Luther King Jr.—will face U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a Republican appointed last year.

The winner of that runoff will fill the remaining two years of the term won in 2015 by Johnson, who retired due to health reasons..

UPDATED, FRIDAY 10:30 A.M.:

Democratic former vice president Joe Biden edged ahead of Republican President Donald Trump overnight Friday, with Georgia’s 16 electoral votes up for grabs.

As of 10:30 a.m., Biden had 2,449,590 votes to 2,448,492 for Trump.

That’s a difference of 1,098 votes.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said that as of 8:15 a.m. Friday, there are 8,197 votes still to count in Georgia, including 700 in Cobb County.

The majority of those votes are in Gwinnett, where 4,800 votes have not been counted in a county that like Cobb has been surging toward Democrats in recent elections.

Provisional, military and overseas ballots, and ballots needing to be “cured” or corrected by voters also were to be counted on Friday.

Biden also has moved ahead of Trump in Pennsylvania as final vote-counting continues.

Georgia Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue (in photo at left) was trying to fend off a runoff with Democrat Jon Ossoff (in photo at right). That runoff would take place on Jan. 5.

Perdue’s lead as of 10:30 a.m. Friday stands at 98,849 over Ossoff. More importantly, Perdue has 49.84 percent of the vote to Ossoff’s 47.84 percent.

Runoffs take place in Georgia when the leading candidate gets less than 50 percent of the vote plus one vote.

Shane Hazel, a Libertarian candidate, has tallied 2.32 percent of the vote.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Cobb will certify election results next Friday, Nov. 13.

Party control of the U.S. Senate, which has been in Republican hands, could be determined in if both Georgia races go to runoffs.

In Tuesday’s special election, appointed Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler finished second in a “jungle primary” to Democrat Raphael Warnock.

The winner of that runoff, also on Jan. 5, will fill the remaining two years of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term.

Biden (56 percent) and Ossoff (54 percent) won Cobb, and Warnock was the top vote-getter in the county in his race (37 percent).

Like Biden, Ossoff has been able to close with absentee votes from metro Atlanta and other strong Democratic parts of the state.

On Thursday afternoon Ossoff’s campaign manager, Ellen Foster, sent out a statement saying that “the votes are still being counted, but we are confident that Jon Ossoff’s historic performance in Georgia has forced Senator David Perdue to continue defending his indefensible record of unemployment, disease, and corruption.”

Perdue hasn’t responded directly to the prospects of facing a runoff; instead he went on social media Thursday, commenting on the presidential race, and saying that if “every lawful vote cast should be counted, once,” Trump will be re-elected.

Some pro-Trump supporters gathered at State Farm Arena in Atlanta Thursday to protest what they said was a “fix” against the president in the vote-counting.

In Thursday evening remarks at the White House, Trump claimed “we’re clearly going to win Georgia,” referring to a 117,000-vote margin he enjoyed after election-day votes were counted.

He didn’t mention the new numbers based on absentee ballots counted.

The Trump campaign and the Georgia Republican Party have filed lawsuits over the ballot-counting in the presidential race, and Trump’s campaign also was doing the same in Michigan and Pennsylvania, where mail-in ballots are being counted.

Other states that are too close to call and that are still counting are Arizona and Nevada.

“This is a fraud to the American public,” said Trump, adding that “frankly, we did win this election. . . . This is a major fraud on our nation.”

The latest overall results compiled by C-SPAN have Biden with 264 electoral votes to 214 for Trump, with four states to call: Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Nevada.

A total of 270 electoral votes are needed to win the presidency. Georgia has 16 electoral votes.

 

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