President Donald Trump speaking at a rally at Wheeler High School. Photo by Aaron Cleveland for East Cobb News.
The following was submitted in response to “Editor’s Note: On Political bias and breaking news,” explaining East Cobb News’ coverage of President Trump’s appearance last week at Wheeler High School. It has been lightly edited for style and punctuation and to include related links:
Hi Wendy,
What are your readers to think? Do you really believe you pass for a non-partisan reporter? I too have been taken aback at your unbalanced reporting of President Trump’s Wheeler event [link to ECN coverage here] when he previewed the Trump Accounts to our community.
Seriously, was it just any other day in Georgia and United States when families learn they now have the opportunity for a life changing financial future for their children? You might want to reassess what takes precedence and priority in your reporting.
News flash, the Trump Accounts is a game changer for a whole lot of students and their families. That is the real news.
Frankly, I thought I was reading something from Essence Johnson [head of the Cobb County Democratic Committee] or Indivisible or the DSA [liberal political groups]. So if that’s the direction of your newsletter, perhaps consider changing the name from East Cobb News to:
East Cobb Indivisible News
East Cobb Mockingbird News
Did I miss the complaints of biased coverage from your Indivisible/TDS/DSA/No Kings/BLM protesters about favoring Trump and the Cobb MAGA attendees on Wednesday? I didn’t think so.
Nothing screams guilty like backpedaling defensiveness. A child would have been able to figure out your passive-aggressive, angry tone about Trump and the attendees—in both of your articles.
So little ol’ Cobb County, Georgia has the President of the United States showing up at our Wheeler High School to do a feature presentation about the Trump Accounts and you do your best to gaslight the whole purpose of his visit and focus on the protesters? That, Wendy, is taken right from the Democrat playbook.
Seriously, this is really disappointing in so many ways. I’ve always made it point to let your advertising sponsors know that I saw their ad in your publication.
Particularly my favorite advertiser, Café Rivkah. You may recall I gave you the courtesy of letting you know that you had messed up the advertising on Café Rivkah’s hours of operation. Frankly, that wasn’t the first week it ran like that, I’m sure you figured that out.
Wendy, your pathetic bipartisan coverage of a historical day in Cobb County lost you a TON of credibility.
Christine Rozman
Marietta
“The truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie.” —Mark Twain
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At a Thursday night Cobb Board of Education meeting, Ragsdale defended the district’s decision to allow Trump and leading Georgia Republican candidates to speak inside the Wheeler gym.
Shortly after he began reading from prepared remarks, a few citizens interrupted with heckling, just as they did during a public comment period prior to that.
He said the White House decision to come to a Cobb school was “a rare and historic honor,” and while there were protestors, “the large majority of Cobb residents treated it as the honor it was.”
Ragsdale spoke briefly at the start of the Trump event, and acknowledged in his comments Thursday that while this president is “not universally liked,” other presidents have not as well.
But “like all of them, when the president of the United States chooses to honor your school district, you say yes.
“The saying, ‘Not My President’ is not an option for a school system . . . We do not control the president, the White House, the Secret Service or the content of any remarks of anyone the president asks to speak.”
At both board meetings Thursday, many speakers said that’s why there shouldn’t have been what they said amounted to a political rally to take place on a public school ground at all.
All of the other elected officials on the Wheeler stage were Republican nominees for state office—governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
Some questioned the district’s process for permitting the Trump event to take place, and how much local taxpayer dollars and district staff time was spent.
“We’re just seeking some transparency about the planning and the execution of the event,” said Laura Judge of East Cobb, who ran for the Post 5 school board seat as a Democrat in 2024.
“You had to know that Trump’s appearance would further divide Cobb neighbors and increase angst,” said Rose Caplan during the evening board meeting.
“Why would you host a political rally when the headlines spread vile propaganda and disrespect for women?”
Andrew Nelms flips a bird at the Cobb school board and superintendent.
A few minutes before that, the meeting was stopped for a moment when speaker Andrew Nelms began yelling at the board during his public comment.
“Why did you welcome a pedophile to one of our schools? Why did you stump for it?”
When board chairman Randy Scamihorn asked for order, Nelms shot back that “there should have been order yesterday!”
Nelms had his microphone cut off, then flipped a bird toward the dais.
Ella Ugwuandu, a 2023 Wheeler graduate, told the board that when she learned her former high school was to have a Trump event, “it felt like a gut punch.”
She said Wheeler’s strength is its diversity and having the event at Wheeler “truly rattled my trust in the district’s ability to protect and represent Cobb County students.”
But several speakers thanked Ragsdale and the board for having the event.
One of them was Leroy Emkin of Marietta, a retired Georgia Tech professor, who said it was “an honor” for Cobb schools to have “a president of the United States who chose to come here.
Chris Ragsdale meets with U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon at the Trump event at Wheeler HS.
“You have done an incredible job to keep DEI out of our schools, to keep woke out of our schools, and to teach our kids what they need to know in school.”
At the later meeting, the district presented a video from the Wheeler event, which also was interrupted, so Scamihorn ordered that it be shown again.
Ragsdale said that Trump is the third sitting president to visit a Cobb school, following Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George W. Bush in 2003. Barack Obama also held a campaign rally at McEachern High School in 2008 during his first run for the presidency.
“Anyone who opposes our district having the president needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are supporting students or waving their own political flag,” Ragsdale said.
You can watch all the public commenters below, thanks to the Cobb County Courier (since the Cobb school district does not air them), followed by Ragsdale’s full remarks.
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It felt like a rock-and-roll party with a president serving as the maestro.
For most of the day on Wednesday, fans of President Donald Trump waited outside, and then inside the gymnasium, at Wheeler High School, eager to get a glimpse and take part in in a program touting the American economy and a new investment program for children.
Fans of President Trump could get their pictures taken before Wednesday’s rally.
Those who don’t like the president showed up in droves too, in multiple locations, to register their displeasure that Trump’s appearance was nothing more than a partisan political rally conducted on the grounds of the Cobb County School District.
Several prominent Georgia Republican candidates running for statewide office this fall spoke—no Democrats did—as did two of Trump’s cabinet secretaries in a jam-packed Wildcat Arena.
Not far away, at Eastvalley Elementary School, and the Pavilions at East Lake Shopping Center, Trump foes hoisted signs and chanted their opposition.
There were no reported signs of trouble or incident at any venue during the day-long event. Parking lots at Wheeler and Eastvalley opened at 8 a.m., and traffic was still filing out near 6 p.m.
There was a heavy law enforcement presence at two schools, with a full force of Cobb County School District police officers and Cobb Police, in addition to te U.S. Secret Service protecting the president.
Photo by Nicholas Hoffman.
Hundreds of attendees lined up hours before the event began and as the weather began to turn hot. Several food trucks offered some quick food—a television correspondent wolfed down a hamburger before heading through the press entry.
And there were numerous black armored vehicles surrounding the Wheeler campus as a security sweep was conducted mid-morning.
The attendees waiting hours for Trump to arrive, entertained by an eclectic playlist ranging from Elvis Presley to disco tunes to “How Great Thou Art” and Trump’s signature rally song, “YMCA.”
“We’re finally turning money over to our children,” the president said of the Trump Accounts. Photo by Aaron Cleveland.
Inside the arena
“This is the Golden Age of America,” Trump proclaimed as he began his nearly wide-ranging, more than an hour-long remarks, after arriving nearly an hour late.
He repeated familiar themes since his return to the presidency, saying that the “whole world” was laughing at the U.S. under “Sleepy Joe” Biden, “but now we’re respected like never before. This country is rocking and rolling.”
Trump’s visit was to tout the programs and initiatives that are forming the core of a national Republican election campaign message this fall—”Powering the American Dream,” and that went heavy on affordability issues.
He said it was fueling “the next generation with the power of freedom and capitalism.”
Among those measures are “Trump Accounts,” investment accounts for children born between 2025 and 2028—the years of Trump’s second term—seeded with a $1,000 government payment, and with a maximum of $5,000 each yea until that child is 18.
“We’re finally giving money back to our children,” Trump said, and he introduced two families after that were taking advantage of the new program to sign up for the accounts.
Virginia Pasquarelli called the Trump rally a “farce.”
As did the warm-up speakers before him, Trump attacked Congressional and other Democrats and the “radical left” for pushing Communism, which he called “the single-greatest threat that we have ever seen to our country.
“The United States of America is not and never will be a Communist country,” he said, as the hundreds of attendees inside the gym rose to their feet, chanting, “USA! USA!”
Trump took aim at Congressional Democrats for blocking or voting against most of his legislative and policy goals on the economy, immigration, and cultural issues, and noted that they continue to support “men in women’s sports.”
He singled out incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is up for re-election in November, referring to him as “PeeWee Herman.”
His Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, was in Washington with voting sessions in progress.
But other Georgia Republicans were front and center at the Trump rally, including gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson.
Jackson said he wanted Georgia to add to the Trump Accounts by matching the $1,000 federal payment, and if he’s elected governor and the legislature doesn’t do it, “I’ll personally donate it myself.”
Battleground Cobb
In recent election cycles once staunchly-Republican Cobb has gone Democratic, with only the Cobb Board of Education in GOP hands, by a 4-3 edge.
The only Republican up for election in November is David Chastain of Post 4 in Northeast Cobb, who is being challenged by Democrat Micheal Garza, a frequent critic of the Cobb school district.
Chastain was among the six of the seven current board members who attended the Trump rally on Wednesday, including two of the three Democrats. Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, a Republican from District 3 in East Cobb, also was in attendance.
Cobb school district Superintendent Chris Ragsdale began the speeches by saying it was “an awesome honor to have the president of the United States.” He also was loudly applauded later when Trump referenced him.
In addition to Jackson, GOP nominees for statewide office who spoke were Greg Dolezal (lieutenant governor), Brian Strickland (attorney general) and Tim Fleming (secretary of state), who also emphasized the affordability and “American Dream” themes.
So did two of Trump’s cabinet members, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who got one of the larger ovations even before he said that “Cobb County is Trump Country.”
He said the Trump Accounts program wasn’t a “government handout” but rather “a triumph of capitalism over socialism.”
Anti-Trump protestors lined Roswell Road Wednesday during the Trump event nearby at Wheeler. Photo by Jadyn Villegas.
Protesting ‘this farce’
Several hundred people turned out Wednesday near Wheeler to oppose the president’s visit.
They included Virginia Pasquarelli, who showed up at the Pavilions at East Lake “No Kings”protest organized by Indivisible Cobb, a liberal advocacy group that has held several “No Kings” protests in East Cobb since Trump’s return to office.
Photo by Ray Dafrico.
“Ashamed Wheeler would play host to this farce,” she said. “We know Trump came to drum up GOP enthusiasm for the elections.”
Across from Wheeler at Eastvalley Elementary School, the Cobb County Democratic Committee also set up a protest, with people lining the fences behind Holt Road for most of the day.
At both venues, some of the messages were rather frank, and even profane. But another East Cobb News reader, Ray Dafrico, sent us a photo he took of someone he identified as a Trump supporter who was holding a sign with an anti-Semitic message.
Cobb Democrats posted photos of the same man, with a social media message asking “Cobb Republicans sent their best today. Is this what you think is acceptable Cobb County Schools?”
The Democrats also refuted claims about Cobb being Trump Country, noting he’s lost the county in all three of his presidential race.
Early Wednesday night, Georgia Democratic Party chairman Charlie Bailey said “Trump tried and failed to do damage control” in his East Cobb speech, calling it “a disaster for Georgia Republican candidates at every level of the ticket.
A young protester at the “No Kings” event counters the Trump message to future generations. Photo by Jadyn Villegas.
Among those in attendance at the Cobb Democratic protest was Michelle Schreiner, who is challenging veteran GOP State Rep. Sharon Cooper.
“Thirty years after graduating from Wheeler High School, I came back to stand with neighbors speaking up for our public schools, our families, and the future our children deserve,” she said on her campaign Facebook page.
“This is what democracy looks like.”
East Cobb News will have more coverage and photos in future posts over the next few days. If you attended and would like to share your photos/videos/experiences, please e-mail us: [email protected].
Thanks to all of you who sent in your items today! We appreciate all of our East Cobb News readers!
Please click the middle button below to view more photos, and under that are some videos from inside the rally venue.
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Approaching Wheeler and Eastvalley Elementary School across the street, preparations were underway for the traffic, crowds and activities that will engulf the school campuses and surrounding neighborhoods.
Yellow fencing has been placed along the campus fronts of both schools, and traffic cones and other items used for traffic purposes are being laid out.
At the entrance to Club Valley Drive, directly across from the Wheeler gym, yellow tape has been placed along either side of the road.
In the parking lot of Eastvalley, Verizon equipment was being uploaded for television crews and other recording activities that accompany presidential visits.
In the bus lane at Wheeler, a row of portable toilets has been set up, and a food truck is parked near the entrance. A few workers were milling around in both parking lots, as was a Cobb County School District police car.
Trump’s visit comes less than two weeks before the start of the 2026-27 academic year in the Cobb school district. Teachers and staff have not yet reported to their campuses.
A Wheeler band camp has been relocated to the campus of East Cobb Middle School on Terrell Mill Road.
“We are also incredibly grateful to our Booster Board and the parent and community volunteers who moved instruments and equipment, set up scaffolding so our directors could see the drill, and lined the field for marching rehearsal.” according to a message on the band’s Facebook page.
Trump will be speaking in Wildcat Arena, the Wheeler gymnasium, starting at 3 p.m., according to an update from the White House Press Office. The ticketed event that’s open to the public will be filling up well before that, including local elected officials from the Cobb Board of Education.
Also expected to attend are Rick Jackson, Republican nominee for Georgia governor, and Mike Collins, Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate.
On-site parking will open around 8:30 a.m Wednesday and road closures will begin in the area starting at 12:30 p.m. East Cobb News has contacted the Cobb Police Department for details, but has not received a response.
The Cobb school district has spread its initial message about the Trump message through its Cobb Teaching and Learning System portal to school families.
“The visit provides an opportunity to showcase the academic excellence, exceptional educators, and high-achieving students that have made Cobb Schools a national leader in public education,” the district said.
But the district has not explained how the Trump visit was arranged, or why Wheeler was chosen. He is the third U.S. president or presidential candidate to visit a Cobb school campus, along with Georgie W. Bush (Harrison) and Barack Obama (McEachern).
Trump is expected to speak about child investment accounts and other legislation targeting affordability issues as the 2026 elections approach in November.
The Cobb County Democratic Committee and other liberal groups are planning protests near Wheeler.
The CCDC said Tuesday it will be having a “Trump Out of Cobb” rally at Eastvalley between 9-4. Indivisible Cobb, a liberal advocacy group that has organized No Kings rallies in East Cobb, will have a “base camp” at the Pavilions at East Lake shopping center (2100 Roswell Road) from 12-4.
The group also has set up shuttle service to Wheeler from Sedalia Park Elementary School and Eastside Baptist Church on Lower Roswell Road.
“No matter how much school leadership at the Cobb County School District tries to deny it, this is an event to boost the profiles of local and statewide Republicans in one of the state’s bluet counties,” the CCDC said in a statement Tuesday.
A Cobb school district police car patrols Holt Road between the Wheeler and Eastvalley entrances Tuesday.
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A bill to name a Veterans Administration clinic after the late Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce has passed the U.S. House.
The bill (H.R. 5362) is sponsored by Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, whose 11th Congressional District includes East Cobb.
It would rename the clinic on 1263 Cobb Parkway North, just north of Bells Ferry Road) to the Colonel Michael H. Boyce Department of Veterans Affairs Multispecialty Clinic.
Boyce, who lived in East Cobb and was was chairman from 2017-2020 and died in 2022, was a longtime officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The renaming bill passed the House by 418-0 vote and moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
Loudermilk, an Air Force veteran who is retiring from Congress this year, issued the following statement:
“My good friend and well-respected community leader, Colonel Mike H. Boyce, spent much of his life in service to his community, state, and nation. Through his service as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and later in elected office as the Chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, Mike was a tireless advocate for the health and welfare of our active duty servicemembers and our veterans.
“Mike worked to ensure our servicemembers had the tools to succeed and was instrumental in establishing the Cobb County VA Clinic, which remains a vital resource for those who served our country honorably.
“Recognizing Colonel Boyce through this legislation is a fitting tribute to an American hero whose service and advocacy inspired so many, and I greatly appreciate his wife, Judy, for working to continue his incredible legacy.”
More reaction from local elected and business officials can be found by clicking here.
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President Donald Trump will be touting his new investment accounts for children next week in a visit to Wheeler High School in East Cobb.
Trump will be coming to Wheeler next Wednesday to promote Trump Accounts, which which are federally-sponsored, tax-advantaged investment accounts for U.S. children under 18 that were launched earlier this month.
A White House spokeswoman said that “President Trump is giving every American child a head start in life, a nest egg to grow up with, and a real stake in their own future through Trump Accounts.”
But she did not offer a reason why the White House chose Wheeler.
The White House later Thursday issued a link for public tickets to the Wheeler event, which starts at 2 p.m. next Wednesday, July 22. Seating is first-come, first-served, and “tickets do not guarantee admission to the event.”
The Cobb County School District issued this statement when contacted by East Cobb News:
“We are honored that the President of the United States has chosen to visit the Cobb County School District. We look forward to welcoming the President and showcasing the academic excellence, exceptional educators, and high-achieving students that have established Cobb Schools as a national leader in public education. For additional details regarding the President’s visit and the event, we refer all questions to the White House.”
The statement did not explain the Cobb school district’s role in arranging Trump’s visit or how Wheeler was chosen for the event. East Cobb News has followed up seeking that information.
Cobb Board of Education member John Cristadoro, who represents the Wheeler and Walton attendance zones, said in a Facebook message that “regardless of which side of the aisle you’re on, it’s a big deal to have a sitting president choose our school for this.
“Cobb County Schools keep proving we are a national model for what education can look like when the focus stays on students. This is one more sign of that, straight from the White House. Unfortunately for everyone asking — I don’t have a way to get you tickets.”
Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon said in a social media message that “this is a fantastic opportunity for patriots in Cobb County and metro Atlanta to hear directly from the President.”
“Georgia Republicans stand united with President Trump. We are grateful for his continued engagement in our state and look forward to a strong showing of support.”
The Cobb County Democratic Committee responded by saying on its Facebook page that “the most corrupt president in US history will be in Cobb County next Wednesday at Wheeler High School. Details on mobilization and protest efforts will be released soon.”
County party chairwoman Essence Johnson said in a later statement that “Cobb County tax dollars are not being used to prepare Wheeler High for incoming students, but to play politics with a wannabe dictator.
“I don’t know why school leadership thought that they could sneak this visit through and not expect community pushback, but believe me there’s going to be pushback. . . . ”
She accused Cobb County schools of being “full of right-wing leadership that needs to be purged,” including Cristadoro, vice chairman David Chastain of Post 4 in Northeast Cobb and Superintendent Chris Ragsdale.
Of the latter, Johnson said Ragsdale is “a poor man’s Trump and surrounds himself with similar yes-men.”
The statement closed by urging the public to contact the Cobb school district “and demand they deny bringing this partisan sham to Cobb County.”
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The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to place on the November ballot a referendum to extend the Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax starting in 2028.
The vote was 4-0, with Chairwoman Lisa Cupid absent.
Cobb voters will vote by Nov. 4 whether or not to renew the one-percent tax for another six years.
The 2028 SPLOST would continue collections for a variety of projects, including roads and transportation, public safety facilities, parks and libraries upgrades and maintenance and more.
The estimated collection for the 2028 SPLOST would be $1.15 billion, with $794 million going to Cobb government projects.
The project list was approved by commissioners in April, and includes a $20 million relocation of the East Cobb Library from Parkaire Landing Shopping Center to an unspecified site.
County officials said in January they would like to rebuild the East Cobb branch, the second-busiest in the Cobb system, on county-owned land.
Cobb has leased space for the East Cobb Library at Parkaire since 2010, after the branch previously was located at Merchants Walk Shopping Center.
The rental cost has been nearly $400,000 a year, and library officials say they need more space. The East Cobb Library has 17,000 square feet of space, and a request for the proposed new branch called for 28,000 square feet.
But before adopting the referendum resolution Tuesday night, commissioners approved a late change capping capacity at the current 17,000 square feet.
Another East Cobb project on the 2028 referendum list is an $8.2 million expansion of the Tim D. Lee Senior Center.
The 2028 SPLOST also would fund a new Cobb State Court building to cost $174 million; $130 million in road resurfacing projects; and $60 million for a new infirmary building at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
Another $30 million would be earmarked for a central aquatic center in Marietta to replace the current facility near the Cobb Civic Center; $30 million combined for two new fire stations in West Cobb and South Cobb; and $18 million for a new recreation center at a site to be named in South Cobb.
Among the transportation projects in East Cobb, $3.5 million would go for an intersection project on Shallowford at McPherson Road; $2.5 million each for improvements in the Johnson Ferry Road corridor and the Shaw Road corridor; and $1.5 million to upgrade the intersection of Lower Roswell Road at Paper Mill Road.
For a detailed list of the 2028 SPLOST referendum project list, click here.
For more on the 2028 SPLOST in general, click here.
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Legislative and Congressional redistricting that was expected to be the main activity during a Georgia General Assembly special session that began on Wednesday will not take place after all.
Republican legislative leaders announced shortly after the session began on Wednesday that they won’t be redrawing lines following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that has sparked similar efforts in other Southern states.
Gov. Brian Kemp called for the special session for redistricting and to address issues with QR codes related to elections.
That followed a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in April affecting how Southern states subject to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 can factor race in redistricting.
“We believe it is prudent to allow the judicial process to continue developing in other states and to carefully evaluate how courts rule on newly adopted district maps across the country,” Georgia Senate President Pro Tem Larry Walker said.
“With this guidance, we are confident that Georgia’s new districts will ultimately withstand legal scrutiny and that Georgia will prevail in defending its position in court.
“For these reasons, the Senate sent a letter to Governor Kemp informing him that redistricting will not be taken up during this Special Legislative Session. Instead, we recommended continuing to monitor legal developments, gathering additional public input and taking the time necessary to fully evaluate all available options before considering changes to Georgia’s maps.”
In response, Kemp said that he doesn’t think “there is reason to delay the apportionment process” but that “legislative districting, however, is the responsibility of the General Assembly, and it is within their discretion to defer the issue until a later date.”
Georgia Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones said the decision to drop redistricting is “a victory for the people of Georgia, make no mistake. It was the people of George that put pressure on this General Assembly.”
The new maps that would have been redrawn would not have gone into effect until the 2028 elections. Republicans control both chambers of the Georgia legislature and are expected to main their majorities in the November elections.
But GOP leaders have worried about energizing Democratic voters for November.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is seeking a second term against U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, and Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson is facing Democratic former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Other Southern states have tried to redraw electoral maps for the 2026 elections, which critics contend will dilute minority voting strength by making it easier to eliminate majority-black districts.
During the special session, Georgia lawmakers will need to address a July 1 deadline to comply with a 2024 law mandating the discontinuation of QR codes as the primary method to count election ballots.
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Adkerson had been Loudermilk’s chief of staff in a district that includes Bartow, Cherokee and parts of Dawson and Gordon counties.
Cowan will face Chris Harden, a Democrat, in November. Cowan’s campaign claimed victory by 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, and he thanked 11th District voters.
“They want a conservative outsider who will stand with President Trump to put America First,” Cowan said in a statement issued by his campaign.”
“I’m a doctor and a businessman, not a politician. I’ve spent my life solving problems and serving this community, and that’s exactly what I’ll keep doing in Congress.”
Governor/U.S. Senate runoffs
In other results Tuesday, health business executive Rick Jackson is leading Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for the Republican nomination for Georgia governor.
Jackson, who has spent more than $100 million of his own money, is also claiming victory with 55 percent of the vote against Jones, who had the endorsement of President Donald Trump and belatedly, outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp.
The winner will meet Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, in November.
In the Republican U.S. Senate runoff, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins defeated former football coach Derek Dooley, also with 555 percent of the vote.
Collins was endorsed by Trump; Dooley, the son of former UGA football coach Vince Dooley, is backed by Kemp.
Collins will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
Other Runoffs
Lieutenant Governor: In a duel between two state senators on the Republican side, Greg Dolezal is leading John F. Kennedy with 53 percent of the vote.
Democratic State Sen. Josh McLaurin is leading Nabilah Parkes, a former state senator, with 55 percent of the vote.
Secretary of State: Tim Fleming defeated Vernon Jones with nearly 65 percent of the vote for the Republican nomination; the Democratic nominee will be Penny Brown Reynolds, who has 64 percent of the vote against Dana Barrett.
Insurance Commissioner: Keisha Sean Waites has 59 percent of the vote against DeAndre Mathis in the Democratic runoff.
School Superintendent: Incumbent Richard Woods is leading his Republican runoff against Candler County schools superintendent Fred “Bubba” Longgrear with just 51 percent of the vote.
Labor Commissioner: Nikki Porcher has 62 percent of the vote against Michelle Sanchez in the Democratic runoff.
For full election runoff results around Georgia, click here.
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Due to a brief delay experienced during morning setup, the polling place at ELIZABETH 03 (EL03) – Piedmont Road Church of Christ, 1630 Piedmont Road, Marietta, GA 30066, opened at 7:16 a.m. for the June 16, 2026, General Primary Runoff Election.
Pursuant to an order issued by Judge Kimberly Childs, voting at this location will remain open until 7:16 p.m. to ensure voters have the full voting period available to cast their ballots.
Cobb County Elections and Registration is committed to ensuring all voters are informed and able to cast their ballots safely and efficiently. We appreciate the patience and understanding of voters and want to reassure the public that all eligible voters assigned to ELIZABETH 03 will have the opportunity to vote today.
We understand the inconvenience caused by the delayed opening and thank Cobb County voters for their patience.
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More than 33,000 Cobb voters cast their ballots early in the 2026 primary election runoffs.
The runoffs will culminate on Tuesday with election-day voting at regularly assigned precincts.
Among the races to be decided include Republican Party nominees for governor, U.S. Senate and the 11th Congressional District.
According to Cobb Elections and Registration, the busiest early voting locations over the last week were the East Cobb Government Service Center (4,714 votes) and the Tim D. Lee Senior Center (4,555 votes).
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The deadline for mailed-in or hand-delivered absentee ballots to the Cobb Elections office is 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Voters who will be voting on Tuesday must go to their assigned precincts. In East Cobb, seven precincts will have new locations for the runoffs, as well as the general election in November.
Voters must must choose either a Democratic or a Republican ballot for the runoffs, and they cannot switch from the party ballot they cast in the primaries.
Cobb Elections has prepared consolidated sample ballots: Democratic | Republican (non-partisan judicial races were decided during the primaries).
Voters must bring a valid photo ID with them to the polls (click here for details).
To check your voter registration status, and to get a customized sample ballot, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.
Who’s On the Ballot
For Republican voters, selecting a nominee for governor is leads their runoff ballot. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and business executive Rick Jackson will be facing off for the right to meet former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who won the Democratic primary, in the general election.
The GOP runoffs also will decide the November opponent for Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff. Congressman Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley led in the primaries.
Republican voters in East Cobb also will have a say in the party choice for the 11th Congressional District, where GOP U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk is retiring.
Loudermilk’s chief of staff Rod Adkerson and physician John Cowan are the candidates, with the winner to face Democrat Chris Harden in November.
Republican Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods is in a runoff against Fred “Bubba” Longgrear, superintendent of schools in Candler County, in southeast Georgia.
There will be runoffs in a number of other statewide offices:
Lieutenant Governor: Josh McLaurin vs. Nabilah Parkes (D); Greg Dolezal vs. John F. Kennedy (R);
Secretary of State: Dana Barrett vs. Penny Brown Reynolds (D); Tim Fleming vs. Vernon Jones (R);
Commissioner of Insurance: DeAndre Mathis vs. Keisha Sean Waites (D)
Commissioner of Labor: Nikki Porcher Michelle vs. Michi Sanchez (D)
Public Service Commissioner, District 5: Bobby Mehan vs. Josh Tolbert (R)
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Democratic Party activists are organizing a protest for Sunday in East Cobb against what they say is political gerrymandering by Republicans.
A “No Gerrymandering, No Kings” rally is set for Sunday from 1-2:30 p.m. at the intersection of Roswell Road and Johnson Ferry Road.
The East Cobb Democrats are among the groups behind the event, following several anti-Trump “No Kings” rallies at the same location last year.
On their Facebook page, the East Cobb Democrats linked to an event page with the name of the Cobb County Democratic Committee at the top. The other groups include Indivisible Cobb, a left-leaning advocacy group with organized three previous No Kings protests and a group called East Cobb Against Gerrymandering.
Gov. Brian Kemp has called a special session of the Georgia General Assembly to start June 17 to redraw the state’s Congressional and legislative district maps.
That follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in April affecting how Southern states subject to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 can factor race in redistricting.
The special session, which comes a day after Georgia’s primary runoffs, also will address issues with QR codes related to elections.
The maps that will be redrawn in June will not take effect until 2028. Other Southern states have tried to redraw maps for 2026, which critics contend will dilute minority voting strength by making it easier to eliminate majority-black districts.
Kemp and the legislative majority are Republican, and the East Cobb Democrats are messaging three local GOP lawmakers in their appeals.
A message posted on the group’s Instagram page last week urges Republican State Reps. Sharon Cooper, John Carson and Don Parsons, all of East Cobb, “to oppose Governor Kemp’s gerrymandering efforts and stand up for democracy in a moment when it truly matters.
“East Cobb is quickly becoming one of the most competitive battlegrounds in the state, and voters will know whether our Representatives stood up for the people or succumbed to partisan interests.”
Since last year, “No Kings” rallies in East Cobb protested Trump administration policies on immigration and other “unconstitutional actions.”
In March, a similar protest was held against U.S. military action against Iran, led by Indivisible Cobb and a variety of progressive political groups.
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The East Cobb Government Service Center on Lower Roswell Road.
Early voting in the Georgia primary election runoffs begins Saturday and continues through next Sunday, June 14.
Voters will be choosing party candidates in a number of key races, including governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and the U.S. Senate (see previous ECN story for the details).
There are no runoffs for state legislative and county elections for East Cobb-area voters, but they will help decide the Republican nominee for the 11th Congressional District.
Early voting will take place at select locations in Cobb, including the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and Tim D. Lee Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road).
Those polling stations will be open next week, Monday June 8-Friday, June 12 from 7 a.m. to p.m.
In addition, the East Cobb Government Service Center will have weekend early voting, this Saturday and Sunday, as well as next Saturday and Sunday.
The Saturday early voting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 12-5 p.m.
The East Cobb Government Service Center also will have a dropbox for absentee ballots that is open only during early voting hours.
Voters who voted in the primaries will be able to vote only in the party primary they have previously chosen, Democratic or Republican.
All voters must bring a valid photo ID with them to their early voting location.
To check your voter registration status, and to get a customized sample ballot, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.
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Micheal Garza and Susan McCartney are vying to challenge Republican Cobb school board member David Chastain in November.
The Democratic candidates in a Cobb Board of Education primary in the East Cobb area are fewer than 100 votes apart following Tuesday’s elections.
Micheal Garza leads Susan McCartney by 78 votes in Post 4 results that are final, but unofficial, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
Post 4 includes the Kell, Lassiter and Sprayberry high school clusters.
A critic of the Cobb County School District’s leadership, Garza has 5,016 votes, or 50.39 percent. McCartney, a retired teacher at Shallowford Falls Elementary School, has 4,938 votes, or 49.61 percent.
That’s a margin of 0.78 percent. Under Georgia law, second-place candidates can call for a recount if the difference is 0.5 percent or less.
Garza told East Cobb News Wednesday afternoon that “our campaign is confident that we will be named the winner of the primary when the results are made official.”
He said it’s his understanding that “every vote, outside of any provisional votes, has been counted in the early vote, mail vote, and election day vote.”
On her campaign Facebook page, McCartney conceded Wednesday afternoon, saying that “I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished with a grassroots effort and absolutely no financial backing from any groups or PAC’s. We ran a race with a hundred dollars and only lost by less than one percent.”
The Cobb Board of Registration and Elections will meet next Tuesday to certify primary election results.
Related:
Cobb school board Post 4 Democratic profiles:Garza | McCartney
Garza will face three-term incumbent David Chastain in November in a contest that will determine party control of a Cobb Board of Education that has been increasingly fractious in recent years.
Chastain, who was unopposed Tuesday, is the only Republican on the ballot in this year’s school board elections. Republicans hold a 4-3 majority, while Democrats control the Cobb Board of Commissioners and the county’s legislative delegation.
In the Post 6 school board race, Democratic incumbent Nichelle Davis easily won her primary over school district critic Jennifer Susko and has no Republican opposition. Post 2 Democratic incumbent Becky Sayler was unopposed in the primary and the general election.
This year, Chastain has early support from prominent Cobb business and civic leaders, including John Loud of Loud Security Systems, a former Cobb Chamber of Commerce chairman who’s gotten involved recently in local Republican campaigns, and who is Chastain’s steering committee chairman.
Garza unsuccessfully ran twice against Republican State Rep. John Carson of Northeast Cobb in 2022 and 2024.
“The challenge for us was to impress upon voters the importance of a school board race and to hit enough voters in a short amount of time in a large post that spanned 27 precincts,” Garza said Wednesday.
He said his campaign had more than 100 volunteers who wrote 7,000 postcards and knocked on almost 3,000 doors during the primary, including high school students writing out notes on a digital learning day.
“You don’t win races like this alone, and I am humbled that so many people in the community have supported me over the years, including my school community,” said Garza, a PTA leader at Keheley Elementary School, where his daughter is a student, as well as the East Cobb County Council of PTAs.
McCartney pledged her support to Garza and said that “my commitment to our community and to public education remains as strong as ever. I ran because I care deeply about our students, our teachers, and the future of our schools, and that passion does not end tonight. This is not the last you will see of me.”
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Republican voters in the Georgia primaries will have some more voting ahead of them in key races at the federal and state levels in June.
The 11th Congressional District, which includes most of East Cobb, has a vacancy due to the retirement of U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk.
In Tuesday’s elections, physician John Cowan led a crowded field, receiving 42 percent of the vote. He will be in a June 16 runoff against Rob Adkerson, who is Loudermilk’s chief of staff.
According to final, unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, Adkerson received 21 percent, while former Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore got 18 percent.
The 11th District also includes Cherokee, Bartow and parts of Gordon and Pickens counties. The Democratic nominee is Chris Harden, who easily won his primary on Tuesday.
U.S. Senate runoff
The Republican battle in the U.S. Senate also was extended when Tuesday’s results weren’t sufficient to secure the nomination.
Two-term U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley will be competing for the right to face incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
Collins led the five-man field with 40 percent of the vote, to 30 percent for Dooley, who coached at the University of Tennessee and is the son of the late University of Georgia football coach and athletics director Vince Dooley.
Dooley, who is supported by outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp, got more votes in Cobb County than the other candidates, receiving 4o percent.
Battle for Governor
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and business executive Rick Jackson will square off in the Republican runoff for Georgia governor.
Jones received 38 percent of the vote to 33 percent for Jackson, who entered the race in January and spent an estimated $100 million on his campaign.
Both candidates are vying for the votes of supporters of President Donald Trump, who officially endorsed Jones.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr got 15 and 11 percent of the vote, respectively, in the gubernatorial primary.
In November, the GOP nominee will face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who crushed Democratic primary opposition, getting 56 percent of the vote.
Former State Sen. Jason Esteves, who briefly represented a portion of East Cobb, finished second with 18 percent of the vote.
Rankin and Jordan, the Democratic nominee for Georgia Attorney General in 2022, were cited by the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission for likely violating ethics rules prohibiting endorsements of one another and by stating positions on issues likely to come before a court, in particular abortion rights.
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L-R: JoAnn Birrell and Nichelle Davis won big in their primary races Tuesday, as did other Cobb incumbents
Cobb’s two Republican commissioners claimed decisive victories in their contested primary races on Tuesday, as did a Democratic Cobb school board member.
And there will be a runoff to determine a Republican nominee for the Congressional seat that includes East Cobb, as well as Republican Party candidates in November for governor and the U.S. Senate.
The links below include continuously updated totals by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, including precinct breakdowns. The figures are unofficial and must be certified by the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration.
Birrell, seeking her fifth term, advances to the November general election against Kevin Redmon, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary. District 3 covers most of East Cobb.
Commissioner Keli Gambrill, a Republican from District 1 in West Cobb, also easily won her primary, as well as a third term on Tuesday. She trounced Cobb Development Authority member Clark Hungerford with 71 percent of the vote.
There was not a Democratic qualifier for that race in November.
Democratic Cobb Board of Education member Nichelle Davis handily defeated challenger Jennifer Susko to earn a second term in Post 6, which includes some of the Wheeler High School attendance zone.
Davis received 76 percent of the vote against Susko, a vocal critical of the Cobb County School District.
There wasn’t a Republican candidate who qualified for that seat, which is centered in the Cumberland-Smyrna-Vinings area.
L-R: Michael Garza, Susan McCartney
In the Democratic primary for Cobb Board of Education Post 4, another school district critic, Micheal Garza, was holding a razor-thin lead over retired Cobb school teacher Susan McCartney.
That post includes the Kell, Lassiter and Sprayberry high school clusters.
Garza had 5,014 votes, or 50.38 percent of the vote, to 4,938 votes for McCartney, or 49.62 percent.
In November he will challenge Republican David Chastain, a three-term incumbent, with party control of the school board on the line. The GOP holds a 4-3 majority and Chastain is the only Republican on the ballot this year.
In the Post 2 school board seat in the Smyrna area, first-term Democrat Becky Sayler ran unopposed in the primary, and she has no Republican opposition in November.
John Cowan, a physician, got 34 percent of the vote and will be in a June 16 runoff for the Republican nomination for the 11th Congressional District seat that’s being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk.
Cowan’s opponent is Rick Adkerson, Loudermilk’s chief of staff.
In November, the winner will meet Chris Harden, who won the Democratic primary Tuesday with 73 percent of the vote.
There will be runoffs in a variety of statewide races, including Republican primaries for governor and the U.S. Senate.
Burt Jones and Rick Jackson will vie June 16 in the GOP gubernatorial runoff with the winner to meet former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who easily won the Democratic primary Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley are in a Republican runoff for the right to face Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.
More statewide election results can be found at this link.
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Cobb Superior Court Judge Kimberly Childs has issued an order keeping 11 precincts open past the 7 p.m. closing time Tuesday, due to technical issues with polling pad devices.
The order was requested by the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration. In East Cobb those precincts and new closing times are as follows:
East Cobb News readers reported lengthy lines at their precincts on Tuesday.
Lauren Beth Reid said she waited two hours to cast her ballot at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center, which this year is the venue for two precincts, and reported there hasn’t been much communication with voters on-site about the problems.
When East Cobb News visited the polling station around 3 p.m. Tuesday, the back of the line formed outside the front doors, and continued inside the lobby and through the facility’s art gallery leading to a room where the voting was taking place.
“There’s 30 people waiting out the sun. I’ve personally made phone calls to try to get things situated in a better way,” Reid wrote on the East Cobb News Facebook page after 4 p.m. Tuesday.
“They have no notices on the doors. Nobody’s come out and talk to anybody.”
Reid said older people initially were being allowed to come inside to the front of the line, but some were sent back.
“It’s a little chaotic. We’re trying to keep people safe and we’re the ones waiting in line doing it,” she added. “It’s a very disappointing. I have Uber eats and I’m half tempted to order five cases of ice cold water and pass them out to people, but I’d probably get in trouble. That’s truly how bad it is.”
Teri Hovsepian said the line where she votes at Sope Creek Elementary School is “the longest it’s been in recent memory.”
She said when she arrived at 2 p.m., three check-in machines weren’t working, and when her husband went there at 4 p.m. “the line was twice as long.”
Updated, 3:15 Tuesday:
Cobb Elections said the issues involve poll pad devices:
We are actively working with the Secretary of State to deploy additional poll pads. In the meantime, polling places are successfully utilizing backup manual check-in procedures to ensure voting continues without interruption.”
UPDATED, 8:50 A.M.:
Cobb Elections just issued the following message:
Cobb County Elections & Registration is aware of issues impacting some election operations today. Backup procedures are in place and voting has NOT stopped.
Voters are encouraged to remain patient as our staff work to assist voters and support polling locations across the county.
All eligible voters in line by 7:00 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballot.
For questions or assistance, please call our office with any issues or concerns at 770-528-2581.
At 10:15 a.m., Cobb government sent out a release saying that there are “technical issues” at “some polling locations” but wasn’t more specific.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 7 A.M.
The polls are open in East Cobb and throughout Georgia Tuesday for the 2026 primary elections.
All precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and East Cobb News will be providing updates at this link during voting hours.
We will update election results after the polls close on a separate link.
The deadline for mailed-in or hand-delivered absentee ballots to the Cobb Elections office is 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Voters in East Cobb will be deciding party nominees in local Cobb commission and school board races, as well as legislative and Congressional races and statewide elections, including governor and U.S. Senate.
Cobb Elections said Monday that more than 78,000 ballots were cast in early voting, about 14 percent of all registered voters in the county.
The Tim D. Lee Senior Center and the East Cobb Government Service Center had the most early voters, with around 9,000 and 8,700 ballots cast there, respectively.
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“We are actively working with the Secretary of State to deploy additional poll pads. In the meantime, polling places are successfully utilizing backup manual check-in procedures to ensure voting continues without interruption.”
ORIGINAL REPORT:
According to Cobb Elections, nearly 62,000 Cobb residents have cast votes in advance of Tuesday’s primary elections, which will decide party nominees in a variety of local, state and federal races and determine some judicial seats.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The deadline for mailed-in or hand-delivered absentee ballots to the Cobb Elections office is 7 p.m. Tuesday.
At the local level, voters in East Cobb will be choosing candidates in a number of races, including the Republican nominee for District 3 on the Board of Commissioners. Four-term incumbent JoAnn Birrell is facing a challenge from first-time candidate Chris Wasserman. Democrat Kevin Redmon awaits in November.
In Post 4 on the Cobb Board of Education, three-term Republican incumbent David Chastain will face either Micheal Garza or Susan McCartney, the Democratic candidates who have qualified.
First-term Democratic incumbent Nichelle Davis is being opposed in Post 6 on the Cobb Board of Education by Jennifer Susko. There is no Republican who qualified, so Tuesday’s winner will win that seat.
East Cobb News conducted the following interviews with each of those candidates in contested primaries:
Cobb Commission District 3, GOP
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell seeks fifth term as ‘energizer bunny.’ Story.
Challenger Chris Wasserman calls for ‘new energy and ideas.’ Story.
Cobb Board of Education Post 4, Democrat
School activist Michael Garza says ‘it’s the right time’ to take on status quo. Story.
Retired teacher Susan McCartney wants to ‘give back to education.’ Story.
Cobb Board of Education Post 6, Democrat
First-term incumbent Nichelle Davis prefers to ‘lead with joy.’ Story.
School district critic Jennifer Susko endorsed by former board member. Story.
Other Races
The only countywide race on the ballot is Cobb Solicitor General. Democratic incumbent Maria Metzger has a primary opponent in Christopher Futch; no Republican qualified.
There are seven incumbent judges on Cobb Superior Court and Cobb State Court who are running unopposed.
At the state level, crowded primaries are in store for the governor’s race, where incumbent Brian Kemp is term-limited. Other statewide races include lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, the commissioners of agriculture, labor and insurance and state school superintendent.
There are five races for Georgia Public Service Commissioner, and all state legislative seats will be decided in 2026.
In East Cobb, there is only one contested primary for a legislative seat. Democratic incumbent Mary Frances Williams will face Graham Bowers in the District 37 race.
There are contested primaries in both the Democratic and Republican parties in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk in the 11th Congressional District that includes most of East Cobb.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is unopposed in the Democratic primary as he seeks a second term, while there are five candidates seeking the Republican nomination.
There are three contested non-partisan primaries for Georgia Supreme Court Justice and another for Georgia Court of Appeals Justice, as those incumbents are facing opposition.
Coming on Tuesday
During the day, as the polls are open, East Cobb News will have a live, continuously updated post as voting goes on. Once the polls close, we will provide up-to-the minute results from key local races in particular.
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“Policies that fundamentally alter elections should not single out only five counties for different treatment,” Cupid said in opposing HB 369.
A number of prominent Cobb County Democratic elected officials were critical of a bill signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp that would make a number of metro Atlanta elected offices non-partisan two years from now.
On Tuesday, Kemp signed HB 369 (you can read it here), which would make elections for county commission, school board, District Attorney, Solicitor General, Tax Commissioner and court clerks non-partisan in Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Clayton counties.
County sheriffs elections and DeKalb County commissioners elections would be exempt from the law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2028 and would become effective with the 2028 election cycle.
The Republican-led legislature was accused by Democrats of cutting into the latter’s political dominance in heavily populated metro Atlanta counties.
That includes Cobb, which had been GOP-dominated from the 1980s to 2018 but now has Democratic majorities on the Board of Commissioners and the Cobb legislative delegation.
Republicans lead the Cobb Board of Education with a 4-3 split on a body that has become increasingly contentious along party lines.
State Sens. John Albers and Kay Kirkpatrick, Republicans with East Cobb constituencies, were among the main co-sponsors of the bill.
Albers said the bill was necessary for local jurisdictions to focus on public safety, as the five counties are considered “consolidated law enforcement counties.”
But at a press conference Tuesday before Kemp signed the bill, Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, Commissioner Erick Allen and Solicitor General Makia Metzer held a press conference urging him to veto it.
They contended that the bill isn’t Democratic because county elections in 154 other Georgia counties remain partisan.
“This is not transparency, and this is not how you promote democracy,” Cupid said in making prepared remarks at the Cobb County government headquarters building in downtown Marietta.
This is not how our Cobb County citizens expect us to make decisions here and it should not be how decisions are made at the state level.”
Cupid said also said the law raises state constitutional questions, which several metro district attorneys, including Sonya Allen of Cobb, have alleged.
On a social media posting Wednesday morning, State Rep. David Wilkerson, a Democrat who is the chairman of the Cobb legislative delegation, said that “the Republican brand is so tainted in the metro area that they had to remove party identification. All this will do is create need to identify every elected official by political party. Local judges, city council, etc.”
Many of the positions held by metro Atlanta Democrats are black females, including Cupid and Allen.
Not all local Republicans were on board with HB 369 or didn’t state a preference. State Rep. Don Parsons of East Cobb voted against the bill, and State Rep. Sharon Cooper of East Cobb was excused from the final vote.
In Georgia, county commission and school board races as well as statewide constitutional officers have been elected in partisan fashion. Municipal elections and judicial seats have been decided in non-partisan elections.
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After two weeks of early voting in the 2026 primaries, Cobb Elections reports that more than 32,000 people have cast ballots in advance of the May 19 elections.
Nearly a third of those ballots have been cast at the two early voting locations in East Cobb.
Cobb voters are deciding on a number of offices in the primaries, including contested races for Cobb Board of Commissioners, Cobb Board of Education, 11th District Congress, Georgia Governor and other statewide offices, state judges and U.S. Senate.
As of Thursday, Cobb Elections said 97 percent of the early votes have been cast at person, at more than a dozen locations.
Leading the way is the East Cobb Government Services Center (4,005 votes), followed by the Tim D. Lee Senior Center (3,680 votes). The full breakdown is here; voters can vote early at any location in the county through next Friday, May 15.
The last weekend day of early voting is Sunday, and the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) will be open from 12-5.
Voters can also drop the ballots at the drop box at the East Cobb Government Service Center during early voting hours through next Friday.
Those early voting hours next week will be 7-7 Monday-Friday; there will be no early voting next weekend.
On election day, May 19, voters will go their assigned precincts.
For more locations for early voting, click here. Cobb voters can cast early ballots at any location in the county regardless of where they live.
Voters must bring a valid photo ID with them to the polls (click here for details).
Absentee ballots must be received in person or by mail at the Cobb Elections office or delivered to a designated drop box by 7 p.m. on May 19, when the polls close for good on election day.
To check your voter registration status, and to get a customized sample ballot, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.
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President Donald Trump speaking at a rally at Wheeler High School. Photo by Aaron Cleveland for East Cobb News.
Other Races
