East Cobb Politics & Elections

Georgia ‘heartbeat’ abortion bill signed into law by Gov. Kemp

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One of the most controversial bills to come up in the Georgia legislature this year was signed into state law Tuesday

State Rep. Sharon Cooper, Georgia heartbeat abortion bill
State Rep. Sharon Cooper

Gov. Brian Kemp signed HB 481, the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, to go into effect next January, amid promises that there would be legal challenges.

(Read the text of the bill here.)

The law bans abortions in Georgia once a doctor can detect a heartbeat, which is usually around six weeks from conception.

The exceptions are for rape and incest, if the life of the mother is endangered and if a doctor determines a fetus is not viable for medical reasons.

Women also must file a police report in the case of rape or incest.

Previous Georgia law, passed in 2012, banned abortions after 20 weeks. HB 481 was sponsored by Rep. Ed Setzler, an Acworth Republican, but two of his fellow GOP colleagues from East Cobb did not support it.

Both State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick and State Rep. Sharon Cooper, who are pro-life Republicans, opposed the bill. Kirkpatrick was out of town attending a funeral when the bill came up for final Senate action and was excused from voting. Cooper, the chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee, voted no on final passage.

They said the bill is unconstitutional, and as retired medical care providers, they opposed provisions to punish OBGYNs, physician assistants and nurses (women and pharmacists also could face criminal charges).

The bill included “personhood” language for fetuses, lets parents claim an embryo as a dependent on their taxes and could order fathers to pay child support for unborn children during pregnancy.

East Cobb’s other Republican state House members, John Carson, Matt Dollar and Don Parsons, voted for the bill. Mary Frances Williams, a Marietta Democrat who represents part of East Cobb, opposed HB 481, as did Democratic senators Jen Jordan and Michael Rhett, who have slivers of East Cobb in their districts.

Georgia is one of several states whose legislatures have enacted abortion legislation in anticipation of possible action regarding Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1973 that legalized abortion nationwide.

Some of those laws have been struck down by courts.

 

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East Cobb resident elected NRA president after Oliver North resignation

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Turmoil within the National Rifle Association has thrust East Cobb resident and longtime conservative activist Carolyn Meadows into the organization’s presidency.Carolyn Meadows, NRA president

Meadows was elected president at the NRA convention in Indianapolis on Monday after Oliver North, the former adviser to President Reagan and Iran-Contra figure, resigned.

The shake-up occurred as North was trying to oust longtime NRA executive director Wayne LaPierre, who is staying on with Meadows’ election.

Meadows, 80, had been the second vice president of the NRA, which has five million members, as well as the American Conservative Union, the national and Georgia Republican Party and Stone Mountain Memorial Association Board.

She said in an interview with the AJC one of her primary objectives is to have her own Congresswoman, Lucy McBath, defeated. McBath, a Marietta Democrat, was elected to the 6th Congressional District seat in November as a strong gun-control advocate.

Whoever runs against McBath, Meadows said, “will get an endorsement from the NRA.”

The NRA is being investigated by the state of New York, where the non-profit organization is chartered, for alleged financial mismanagement.

 

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U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath to hold community listening session at East Cobb church

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Submitted information:

Georgia 6th Congressional District candidate Lucy McBath
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath

On Saturday, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) will host a listening session to hear from constituents about issues affecting the communities and residents of the Sixth District.

“My work in Washington is guided by the priorities and concerns of the residents of Georgia’s Sixth, so I value the opportunity to hear directly from the people I represent,” McBath said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to listen and have an open dialogue on the issues that are important to my constituents.”

Rep. McBath’s community listening session will take place on Saturday, April 13, 2019 from 11:30am to 12:30pm at the Pilgrimage United Church of Christ in Marietta. This event will help to inform McBath’s actions in Washington and help her to set her long-term legislative agenda. The listening session will be immediately preceded by a Meet and Greet at 11:00am in the church’s fellowship hall.

Constituents can RSVP here and are encouraged to sign up for newsletter alerts on McBath.House.Gov and to follow Rep. McBath on Facebook  at Facebook.com/RepLucyMcBath.

Meet and Greet Details:

Saturday, April 13, 2019

11:00am – 11:30am

Listening Session Details:

Saturday, April 13, 2019

11:30am – 12:30pm

Pilgrimage United Church of Christ

3755 Sandy Plains Road

Marietta, GA 30066

 

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Cupid announces campaign to become Cobb Commission Chair

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Lisa Cupid of South Cobb, the only Democrat on the five-member Cobb Board of Commissionrs, announced Tuesday she’ll be seeking the countywide office currently held by Republican Mike Boyce of East Cobb. Lisa Cupid, Cobb Commission Chair campaign

She said on her Facebook page she decided to run after “much prayer and conversation with my family,” and offered a brief explanation why:

“Cobb County is on the move. We have new challenges and new opportunities and as we move forward, we must do so in the best interest of all the county.

“We have an opportunity to embrace what is to come and continue to make our county the best place in Georgia to live, work and play. We cannot allow the comfort of the present to scare us from the possibilities of tomorrow.”

The official campaign kickoff event is next Wednesday, April 10, at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Akers Mill Road.

Cupid also has launched a campaign website, Cupid for Cobb.

Cupid was first elected in 2012 after defeating incumbent Woody Thompson. Her background is in mechanical engineering and she is an attorney.

She was the only vote against the 2013 memorandum of understanding with the Atlanta Braves to build what’s now known as SunTrust Park, mainly because of the way the deal was handled.

Since Boyce was elected in 2016, Cupid has been his most reliable ally on the commission, vocally supporting his call for a property tax millage increase. It passed 3-2, over the objections of East Cobb commissioners Bob Ott and JoAnn Birrell.

Cupid, who has advocated for greater economic and business development, transit and community-based policing, also has been Boyce’s vice chair for the last two years.

But the political profile of Cobb, which has been Republican-dominated for years, is changing. Hillary Clinton carried the county in the 2016 presidential campaign. Last year, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams easily won Cobb, as did most other statewide candidates in her party.

Even East Cobb, which has been heavily GOP, now has Democratic representation in Congress (Lucy McBath), one post on the Cobb school board (Charisse Davis) and a State House seat (Mary Frances Williams).

The last Democratic county chairman was Ernest Barrett, who served 1965-1984, shepherding Cobb through dramatic change as it was becoming suburbanized.

Cupid also would become the first female and the first African-American to lead the county government.

Boyce has said he is seeking a second term but has not formally announced his campaign. Ott, who is the longest-serving commissioner, first elected in 2008, will be completing his third term in 2020.

He has not indicated whether he will be running again for his current District 2 seat, which includes some of East Cobb and the Smyrna-Vinings-Cumberland area.

 

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Handel announces bid to regain Georgia 6th Congressional District seat

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Karen Handel said Monday she’s running for the Georgia 6th Congressional District seat she lost last November. Karen Handel, Georgia 6th Congressional District

The Roswell Republican and former Georgia Secretary of State held the seat for a little more than a year following a 2017 special election, then was defeated by Democrat Lucy McBath.

In a brief message on her website, Handel said she’s running because the 6th District—which includes East Cobb—”deserve[s] better than a Pelosi pawn as our representative in Washington. We need someone who works for our best interests, not just for the Pelosi agenda or to gain national celebrity.”

Those were references to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who regained that position when Democrats took the House in the November elections, and to McBath, who’s gained national attention for her gun-control efforts.

McBath, who lives in Marietta, became the first Democrat elected to the seat once held by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 40 years after she narrowly defeated Handel.

McBath used Handel’s announcement to make a fundraising pitch on her campaign Facebook page, saying “we know we’re in for a tough re-election fight… but when the going gets tough, #TeamLucy hasn’t failed me yet.”

No other candidates have announced to run for the 6th District seat, which includes North Fulton, Sandy Springs, and north and central DeKalb.

 

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Isakson blisters Trump for critical remarks about McCain

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U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson blasted President Donald Trump’s critical remarks about the late Sen. John McCain on a radio interview Wednesday afternoon.

Isakson, a Republican from East Cobb, was interviewed on the Georgia Public Broadcasting program “Political Rewind.”Isakson blisters Trump

(A recording of the interview can be accessed at the program’s website.)

Isakson said he was prompted to speak out not only because of his friendship with McCain, but because of what he thinks is the negative impact of Trump’s remarks, especially by those serving in the military.

McCain, a former Vietnam POW who preceded Isakson as the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee chairman, was a strong critic of Trump, and the enmity was mutual.

Over the weekend, Trump renewed accusations he’s made before that McCain forwarded to the FBI a dossier regarding possible compromising information about Trump before he was elected president in 2016.

“Spreading the fake and totally discredited Dossier ‘is unfortunately a very dark stain against John McCain,’ ” went one Tweet from Trump.

Another Tweet continued the criticism: “So it was indeed (just proven in court papers) ‘last in his class’ (Annapolis) John McCain that sent the Fake Dossier to the FBI and Media hoping to have it printed BEFORE the Election.”

“It’s deplorable what he said,” Isakson said, referring to Trump, during the interview conducted at the GPB studios in Atlanta. “It will be deplorable in seven months if he says it again, and I will continue to speak out. We should never reduce the service that people give to this country.”

The Bulwark, a new conservative political website, reported early Wednesday that Isakson, Georgia’s senior senator, was making good on a pledge he made from the Senate floor after McCain’s death that anyone who “tarnishes the reputation of John McCain deserves a whipping.”

On Tuesday, he said this in an interview with The Bulwark, which is highly critical of Trump:

“I just want to lay it on the line, that the country deserves better, the McCain family deserves better, I don’t care if he’s president of United States, owns all the real estate in New York, or is building the greatest immigration system in the world. Nothing is more important than the integrity of the country and those who fought and risked their lives for all of us.”

More recent information unsealed by a judge last week includes testimony that McCain passed along the dossier to the FBI in December 2016, after the election.

The dossier contents are part of an investigation by former FBI director Robert Mueller into alleged Russian political interference in U.S. elections. Trump’s former campaign manager and personal lawyer have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the probe.

When asked to clarify his comments on Tuesday, Trump said that “I was never a fan of John McCain’s and I never will be.”

Isakson is one of the few Republican senators who’s spoken publicly about Trump’s McCain comments. Thus far he is the only one who is directly challenging what his spokeswoman said is “the president’s continued disparagement” of McCain, who died last summer from brain cancer.

“I want to elevate John. John was better than I am, and I know it,” Isakson told The Bulwark. “John was the best of my generation. John McCain was and is a great human being.”

Last month Isakson was named the inaugural recipient of the John McCain Service to Country Award.

During the GPB interview, Isakson was asked if he was concerned about his legislative priorities being affected by his criticisms of Trump, and not for the first time.

“I never worry about what I’m doing politically or practically in the Senate as long as I think I’m doing what’s right,” Isakson said.

The Bulwark was launched in December and is co-founded by William Kristol, a former White House aide and conservative writer who has been highly critical of Trump, especially on social media.

 

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Georgia private school voucher bill rejected by Senate in close vote

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In one of the more closely watched issues in the state legislative session this year, the Georgia Senate on Tuesday narrowly voted down a bill that would allow public school funds to be diverted for private school vouchers. State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick

The vote was 28-25 against a substitute version of SB 173 (read the summary or full bill), which was decided strongly along party lines.

All Democrats and several Republicans were opposed, including Lindsey Tippins of West Cobb, a former Cobb school board member. Among the Republicans voting for the bill was Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick of East Cobb (in photo).

The bill’s sponsors indicated they may try for another Senate vote later this week. Thursday is crossover day in the Georgia General Assembly, which means bills must pass at least one chamber to have a chance to become law this year.

Dubbed the Georgia Educational Scholarship Act, SB 173 and HB 301 are identical pieces of legislation. The bills would allow parents to use funds earmarked for public education to pay for qualified education expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring and transportation, as well as home-schooling curriculum.

Existing laws in Georgia allow indirect contributions for private school vouchers that are good for tax credits and for tuition for students with disabilities.

SB 173 has moved fast through the Senate, introduced only on Feb. 22 with the support of Gov. Brian Kemp. It was reported out of subcommittee without a vote, and passed out of the Ways and Means Committee Thursday. On Monday, the Senate Rules Committee placed the bill on Tuesday’s floor schedule.

Both bills are opposed by many public-school advocacy groups, including teachers organizations and the Georgia PTA. The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, which also is opposed, estimates that the voucher program could deprive the state of more than $540 million a year for public schools if fully implemented over the next 10 years.

In favor of the bills are school-choice interests, including the Georgia Center for Opportunity, which says the bill would allow parents to tailor their child’s educational needs.

 

 

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Isakson awarded inaugural John S. McCain Service to Country Award

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Submitted information and photo:Isakson John McCain Award

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., was awarded the inaugural ‘John S. McCain Service to Country Award’ from Voices for National Service on Tuesday in recognition of his life-long devotion to citizen and public service and for his exceptional leadership in advancing national service to solve community problems. Video footage of Isakson’s acceptance is available online here.

The award was presented to Isakson by Ben Domenech, who is the son-in law of U.S. Senator John McCain, for whom the award was named, at the 16th annual ‘Friends of National Service Awards.’ Domenech is married to McCain’s daughter, Meghan.

“John McCain’s life and work left an indelible mark on history, and I learned a lot from him,” said Isakson as he accepted the award. “He was ferocious in his commitment to his life, to his friends, to his country and to others who needed help. He meant a lot to me, and I’m incredibly honored to have earned this prestigious award named in his honor from an organization that is so highly respected. To have a member of the McCain family, Ben Domenech, present this special award was particularly meaningful to me. We are in this together for the betterment of mankind. We are better people when we give a little bit of ourselves to others.”

“Senator Isakson firmly believes that service is an obligation of citizenship, and that by giving back to your country, Americans can learn something about themselves, each other, and the world around them,” said AnnMaura Connolly, president of Voices for National Service. “Like his friend and colleague, the late Senator John McCain, Senator Isakson has worked to protect, expand and improve service opportunities at home and abroad.”

Isakson earned the award for his work as a champion of both the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps. The organization pointed to his 2011 sponsorship of the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act to provide better security and protection measures for Peace Corps volunteers. In 2018, Isakson also worked on the Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018, which built on these reforms to further protect Peace Corps volunteers. Both measures were enacted into law.

Also in 2018, Isakson introduced legislation with Senator Michael Bennet, D-Colo., to exclude the AmeriCorps education award from federal income tax and help ensure that the post-service scholarship remains a valuable and compelling incentive for young people to serve.

Additionally, the organization recognized that Isakson’s “commitment to making sure America takes care of those who dedicate their lives to serving our country extends to veterans too.” Voices for National Service highlighted his work as chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs’ Committee, where “he is working to improve the quality of care at [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs] healthcare facilities, protect veterans’ benefits, and provide access to education and training to help veterans make a successful transition to civilian life.”

Also honored during the evening with other awards were distinguished leaders in government, business, and journalism from across the nation. The full list of 2019 award winners is available here.

 

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U.S. government re-opens as talks continue on border security issues

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What a difference a day makes: The day after the U.S. Senate failed to pass votes to end the partial U.S. government shutdown, Congressional leaders worked out a temporary spending bill with President Trump on Friday.

The three-week agreement to re-open and fund government operations goes through Feb, 15 and includes no border wall funding, as the president wanted, while negotations continue.

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson of East Cobb, one of six Republicans who voted Thursday for a Democratic bill that didn’t get a two-thirds majority of votes, hailed Friday’s actions. His office issued the following statement:

“I’m glad the leadership of the House and the president have come to an agreement and hope that we can now sit down and negotiate in earnest to secure our border and get the government back in operating order.”

Ga. Senator David Perdue, a Republican from Warner Robins, said the following:

President Trump just announced a bipartisan solution to reopen the government while border security negotiations continue. We still have a crisis at our southern border, and President Trump is exactly right to address it. I applaud the President for continuing his efforts to enter into good faith negotiations with Democrats in the House and Senate.

Many Democrats have previously supported border security. Unfortunately, throughout this process they’ve clearly demonstrated they want to keep immigration a political issue instead of finding a real solution. If Democrats refuse to come to the negotiating table to tackle this national priority over the next three weeks, President Trump will do what is necessary to protect America.

Ultimately, this situation underscores the total dysfunction of Washington’s funding process. These conversations should have been completed last year, not four months into this fiscal year.

Trump made an announcement about the temporary deal at the White House early Friday afternoon. That followed news from the Federal Aviation Administration that flights were being grounded at East Coast airports, including LaGuardia in New York, due to shortages of air traffic controllers, and causing delays elsewhere

They were among the many thousands of federal employees who have not been paid during the shutdown, the longest in U.S. history at 35 days.

Last week, Isakson had expressed concern that the shutdown would adversely affect plans for the Super Bowl, which is being played next Sunday in Atlanta.

 

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Isakson votes to re-open U.S. government, but shutdown continues

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As the longest shutdown in U.S. government history continues, Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson broke party ranks Thursday and voted for a Democratic spending bill without border wall funding demanded by President Donald Trump.

Sen. Johnny Isakson

UPDATED: The shutdown ended temporarily on Friday with a three-week budget extension.

Isakson was one of six Republicans who supported a budget bill that would fund the government for three weeks and have Congress continue negotiating border security issues while providing back pay to furloughed government employees.

That bill passed 52-44, but it needed 60 votes to end a filibuster. The other Republicans voting for the measure were Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Susan Collins of Maine, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah.

Georgia’s junior Senator, Republican David Perdue, voted against that bill.

He and Isakson, an East Cobb resident. had previously voted for a bill that would have given Trump his $5.7 billion in border funding and provided some immigrants with certain legal protections.

That bill failed 50-47, so the 34-day stalemate between Trump and Congress will continue indefinitely. Here’s Isakson’s statement from the Senate floor Thursday:

“You know a lot of people think Congress’ job is to come to Washington and change things for the better. When it comes to immigration, all we ever change is the subject. We never end the debate, we never pass a result, and often times we would call each other names for the wrong reason.

“I’m here for one reason: To thank the colleagues that are on the floor here and all those others that are ready to do some business. I’m ready to do some business.

“It’s time we put the workers in our government back to work. It’s time we were doing what we promised the people of the United States of America we would do, and it’s time we went to work. Because when everybody’s out of work, it’s our fault. These are the people who carry the mail, empty the garbage, cook in the cafeteria, clean up the parks, and do everything they do without any complaint whatsoever. But they’re out there, many of them not even being paid right now, while we’re sitting here debating a subject that we can’t reach a solution on, period.

“We need to take our armor off, leave our weapons at the door, walk in the room, shake hands. . . . Let’s sit down, and let’s pass a bill we can both agree on that gets Americans back to work and restores the spirit of Ellis Island and the pride of the United States of America.”

Isakson earlier this month co-sponsored federal legislation to permanently end government shutdowns.

Isakson said little good comes from shutdowns, and he cited the five shutdowns in his time in Washington.

“Idle hands are never good,” he said.

Here’s what Perdue, a strong Trump supporter, said after Thursday’s votes:

“Many of us fought to keep the Senate in session last August to avoid this funding situation in the first place. President Trump has tried to reopen negotiations with a reasonable proposal that not only fully funds the federal government, but also addresses critical border security and disaster relief. It is unacceptable that Senate Democrats continue to reject every opportunity to compromise in good faith. In the real world, both sides have to negotiate to find a solution. It’s time to work together to tackle these national priorities.”

 

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Isakson co-sponsors End Government Shutdowns Act bill in Senate

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With the longest government shutdown in U.S. history entering its fourth week, members of the U.S. Senate, including Georgia’s Johnny Isakson, have reintroduced legislation that would prohibit them in the future. End Government Shutdown Act

On Friday Isakson announced he has co-sponsored the End Government Shutdowns Act, which would permanently ban shutdowns. The bill, which was introduced on Thursday, is being sponsored by several Republican senators.

Isakson, an East Cobb Republican, has co-sponsored the bill each year since 2012. It has never passed. Isakson said in a statement:

“It is wrong to continue the constant threat of a government shutdown, and Americans should expect their government to function and budget responsibly. Too often, last-minute omnibus bills do little to address out-of-control spending, while shutdowns cut off essential federal government services and force Americans to bear the burden of Congress’ dysfunction. This is the one proposal in Washington that will work to end these irresponsible shutdowns that harm Georgians and Americans.”

The bill would would automatically continue funding for discretionary programs that haven’t had a budget approved by the Oct. 1 deadline for each fiscal year.

If spending bills haven’t been approved for 120 days after the Oct. 1 deadline, budgets for those programs would be reduced by one percent.

Funding would further reduced by one percent every 90 days thereafter until appropriations are approved by Congress.

The current shutdown came about when Congress did not include $5.7 billion demanded by President Donald Trump for the construction of a wall across the entire U.S. border with Mexico.

Both the House and the Senate approved stopgap spending measures before Christmas to keep the government open, but Trump indicated he wouldn’t sign.

This week the president spoke on national television to make his case for border funding.

Georgia’s junior senator, David Perdue, one of Trump’s most vocal supporters, defended the president this week, saying the border funding is about national security.

Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren issued a letter this week supporting border funding.

 

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McBath co-sponsors firearms background check legislation

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Earlier this week new 6th District Congresswoman Lucy McBath announced she is co-sponsoring legislation expanding background checks for firearms sales.

Georgia 6th Congressional District candidate Lucy McBath
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath

The Marietta Democrat spoke from the House floor and at a press conference for H.R. 8, called the “Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019.” It would require background checks for every purchase of a gun, including those sold by private vendors.

She is one of 173 co-sponsors, most of them Democrats, who have made gun-control efforts one of their top priorities since taking control of the House in November elections.

McBath defeated Republican incumbent Karen Handel as part of that electoral surge.

The bill was introduced on Tuesday, the 8th anniversary of the shooting of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. She was one of 13 people injured in a rampage that killed six others.

McBath’s 17-year-old son, a former student at Marietta High School, was killed at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a gunman upset at loud music coming from his car. She became nationally prominent in gun-control advocacy after that.

“Too often gun sales without background checks have allowed guns to end up in the hands of violent criminals,” McBath said at a Democratic press conference in Washington that included Giffords. “By closing these loopholes and expanding background checks, we will make our communities safer. . . Quite simply, background checks save lives.”

 

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Cobb Sheriff Warren, Sen. Perdue support Trump border wall funding

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Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren, Trump border wall
Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren

Before President Donald Trump addressed the nation Tuesday in demanding funding for a Mexican border wall, one of Cobb County’s top elected officials pledged his support.

Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren, a Republican like the president, wrote a letter that was released Tuesday afternoon, saying “I am, like most Americans, fed up with Congress’ refusal to do their jobs and fund the border wall.

“This is not about party affiliation. This is about threats to the residents of our communities. . . . For more than 20 years, we have been asking Congress to provide funding to stop the flow of illegal immigration and the carnage, trauma and suffering it brings to our neighborhoods.”

He referenced violent crimes committed by suspected illegal immigrants in other states, but nothing in Cobb County.

(Read the letter here)

In an Oval Office speech, Trump reiterated his demands for $5.7 billion to construct the wall along the entire southern U.S. border with Mexico. He called the issue “a crisis for the soul,” and mentioned the grisly murder of a Georgia man who was beheaded and dismembered. His illegal immigrant neighbor has been charged with the killing.

The U.S. government has been partially shut down for nearly three weeks after Trump said he would not sign a spending bill without border wall funding. Congressional Democrats are opposed, saying it’s ineffective and doesn’t solve other immigration problems.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer offered a brief response to Trump’s speech, saying they’ll discuss border security only after the shutdown is ended. “We don’t govern by temper tantrum,” Schumer said.

After the speech, U.S. Sen. David Perdue, a Georgia Republican and one of Trump’s most vocal supporters in Congress, hailed the president’s remarks.

Trump, Perdue said, “is right: The only reason the government is still shut down is because Democrats refuse to fund border security. Enough is enough. Focus on the national interest, not political self-interest.”

The president “showed leadership by speaking directly to the American people. The situation at our southern border is a national security crisis. We need a solution now.”

According to the Georgia political publication Insider Advantage, Warren, who was first elected Cobb sheriff in 2004, is planning on running for a fifth term in 2020.

 

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McBath sworn into Congress; casts first vote for Nancy Pelosi

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Shortly after Lucy McBath took the oath as a member of Congress on Thursday, she dedicated the first action of her tenure to her late son.

Georgia 6th Congressional District candidate Lucy McBath
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath

McBath, a Marietta Democrat who narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Karen Handel for the 6th District seat in November, voted for Nancy Pelosi to become Speaker of the U.S. House.

As she did so, McBath said she was doing it “in memory of my son Jordan Davis.”

He was a student at Marietta High School in 2012 when he was shot and killed at a gas station in Jacksonville, Fla. The man later convicted of the shooting and sentenced to life in prison was complaining about loud music coming from a parked car in which Davis was a passenger.

McBath, a former Delta Air Lines flight attendant, became a gun-control advocate as a result, working for the Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense organizations.

She was planning to run for a state house seat, but cited the Parkland, Fla., high school shootings last February in switching to become a candidate for Congress.

The 6th District includes most of East Cobb, much of Sandy Springs and North Fulton and North and Central DeKalb. She is the first Democrat to serve in the seat since 1978, when Newt Gingrich was first elected.

Pelosi was elected Speaker for the second time, getting 220 votes to 192 for Republican Kevin McCarthy, previously the House Majority Leader. Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams got one of the other Democratic votes.

McBath’s official Congressional website has just been activated. Her committee assignments and district office locations have not been announced. The Washington office phone is 202-225-4501.

 

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Top East Cobb stories for 2018: Democrats make gains on Republican turf

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East Cobb Election Update, Charisse Davis, East Cobb elections 2018
Charisse Davis upset Scott Sweeney to win a seat on the Cobb Board of Education representing the Walton and Wheeler areas. (ECN file)

The all-Republican slate of public office holders in East Cobb is no more. Three Democratic candidates defeated Republican incumbents in the November elections, as Cobb’s changing political demographics reached even the strongest GOP part of the county.

All three races were extremely close in what’s being called part of a Democratic “Blue Wave” that galvanized party voters, especially in metro Atlanta.

For the first time in a long time, Democratic candidates contested every office on this year’s ballot for East Cobb voters. All of the Democrats were females, and most were running for office for the first time.

After winning last year’s bruising 6th Congressional District special election over Jon Ossoff, Republican incumbent Karen Handel was unseated by Marietta Democrat Lucy McBath, a high-profile gun-control candidate.

Handel won most of the East Cobb precincts, but McBath prevailed in north DeKalb precincts and won north Fulton by a nose.

Georgia 6th Congressional District candidate Lucy McBath
U.S. Rep.-Elect Lucy McBath

After indicating she would ask for a recount, Handel conceded the following day after falling fewer than 3,000 votes short.

McBath will be the first Democrat to hold that seat since former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was first elected to Congress in 1978. She also will serve in the majority, as Democrats nationwide picked up enough seats to take control of the House.

A recount took place for the State House District 37 seat held by Republican Sam Teasley. But Democrat Mary Frances Williams was declared the winner for the seat that includes some of East Cobb.

The Cobb legislative delegation also will be majority Democratic as several other seats in the county switched from GOP control.

In Cobb Board of Education elections, Democrat Charisse Davis, who lives in the Campbell High School area, upset Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney to win Post 6, which mostly includes the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones.

State Rep. Sharon Cooper
State Rep. Sharon Cooper

Republicans had held a 6-1 majority on the school board, but their edge will be 4-3 in January. David Chastain, a Republican who represents Kell and Sprayberry, won election to a second term.

Even some Republican incumbents who won had close calls in Cobb. Commissioner JoAnn Birrell was re-elected for a third term in District 3, which includes most of Northeast Cobb. But liberal Democrat Caroline Holko ran strong, as Birrell got only 52 percent of the vote.

Veteran State Rep. Sharon Cooper won by a similar margin to retain State House seat 43 in East Cobb. The chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee, Cooper, first elected in 1996, was challenged by first-time candidate Lucia Wakeman.

 

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Georgia runoff elections to decide Secretary of State, PSC slot

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The Georgia runoff elections Tuesday will decide two statewide offices—Secretary of State, and a spot on the Public Service Commission.

Voting is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your regular polling station (click here to check).Georgia runoff elections

In the Secretary of State race, Republican Brad Raffensperger is facing Democrat John Barrow, a former Congressman.

In the Nov. 6 general election, Raffensperger got 49.09 percent of the vote and Barrow received 48.67 percent. Libertarian candidate Smythe Duval of Marietta had 2.23 percent of the vote.

The winner will succeed Brian Kemp, the Georgia governor-elect. He resigned on Nov. 7 and Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Robyn Crittenden to serve on an interim basis.

The PSC District 3 runoff candidates are Republican incumbent Chuck Eaton and Democrat Lindy Miller.

District 3 covers most of metro Atlanta, including Cobb County. Eaton received 49.7 percent of the vote, Miller got 47.63 percent and Libertarian Ryan Graham earned 2.67 percent.

Republicans won all other statewide offices in the Nov. 6 general election. However, Democrats got a majority of the vote in Cobb for those offices.

According to Cobb Elections, a total of 28,467 people cast ballots in advance voting last week.

 

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Cobb and Georgia elected officials remember President George H.W. Bush

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Here’s how some Cobb and Georgia elected officials responded to the death of President H.W. Bush, who passed away Friday at the age of 94:

President George H.W. Bush death
Photo: Office of Sen. Johnny Isakson

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-East Cobb), who worked with Bush on education legislation during Isakson’s time in the U.S. House. The 41st president also campaigned for Isakson:

“America and the world will miss and mourn the life and service of George H.W. Bush. President and Mrs. Bush were and always will be an unforgettable first family. I was honored to serve and work with them. Dianne and I extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the 

Bush family.”

U.S. Sen. David Perdue (R-Warner Robins):

Bonnie and I join Georgians and all Americans in mourning the loss of President George H.W. Bush.

As a World War II veteran, member of Congress, CIA Director, Ambassador, Vice President, and ultimately our 41st Commander in Chief, President Bush dedicated his life to serving the United States of America. He was a skilled leader whose dedication to our nation was tireless during some of our most trying times.

Both George and Barbara Bush had an unmatched love for America. Bonnie and I both send heartfelt prayers to President George W. Bush and the entire Bush family during this time.

U.S. Rep. Karen Handel (R-Roswell):

George H.W. Bush was a statesman and patriot who dedicated his life to our country. Our nation’s last World War II veteran to serve as Commander and Chief, President Bush will be remembered as one of our nation’s greatest leaders and problem solvers.

It was an honor to have had the privilege of serving in his Administration, and through President Bush, I learned that any successful life had to include giving back and serving others. He instilled in me my desire to serve.

One thing that President Bush said has stayed with me all these years: “No problem of human making is too great to be overcome by human ingenuity, human energy, and the untiring hope of the human spirit.” Steve and I extend our deepest condolences to the Bush family. RIP President George H.W. Bush.

U.S. Rep.-elect Lucy McBath (D-Marietta):

HW Bush’s leadership and love for his country is unquestioned. I am praying for the entire Bush family, and I hope that myself and fellow congresspeople will follow his examples of leadership.

Former President Jimmy Carter:

Rosalynn and I are deeply saddened by the death of former President George H.W. Bush. His administration was marked by grace, civility, and social conscience. Through his Points of Light initiative and other projects, he espoused a uniquely American volunteer spirit, fostering bipartisan support for citizen service and inspiring millions to embrace community volunteerism as a cherished responsibility. We again extend our heartfelt condolences to the Bush family.

Gov. Nathan Deal has ordered the American flags at all state buildings and grounds to be flown at half-staff through Dec. 30:

President George H.W. Bush was an honorable man and a proud American whose character and generous spirit helped to change our nation indelibly and for the better. His devotion to the country he nobly fought for and led was matched only by his profound love of family.

While all Georgians join in grieving this national loss, we are comforted in knowing that President Bush is reunited with his beloved Barbara. Sandra and I send our deepest condolences to the Bush family and to all those fortunate enough to have known him.

 

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East Cobb Government Service Center to hold advance runoff voting

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Advance voting for two statewide election runoffs will take place Monday-Friday around the county, including the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road). cobb advance voting, Cobb voter registration deadline, Walton and Dickerson PTSA candidates forum

The races to be decided are for Georgia Secretary of State and a seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission (sample ballot here).

Advance voting takes place from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at satellite locations, which include the following:

  1. Jim Miller Park Event Center, 2245 Callaway Road
  2. North Cobb Senior Center, 3900 S. Main St., Acworth
  3. Riverside EpiCenter, 135 Riverside Parkway, Austell
  4. Ward Recreation Center, 4845 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs

Advance voting also is taking place at the Cobb Elections main office (736 Whitlock Ave.) from 8-5 Monday-Friday.

There is no advance voting on Saturday, Dec. 1, or Monday, Dec. 3. Runoff voting concludes at precinct locations on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

In the Secretary of State race, Republican Brad Raffensperger is facing Democrat John Barrow, a former Congressman.

In the Nov. 6 general election, Raffensperger got 49.09 percent of the vote and Barrow received 48.67 percent. Libertarian candidate Smythe Duval of Marietta had 2.23 percent of the vote.

The winner will succeed Brian Kemp, who is the Georgia governor-elect. He resigned on Nov. 7 and Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Robyn Crittenden to serve on an interim basis.

The PSC District 3 runoff candidates are Republican incumbent Chuck Eaton and Democrat Lindy Miller.

District 3 covers most of metro Atlanta, including Cobb County. Eaton received 49.7 percent of the vote, Miller got 47.63 percent and Libertarian Ryan Graham earned 2.67 percent.

 

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Williams declared Georgia House District 37 winner after recount

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The Cobb Board of Elections on Friday announced that Mary Frances Williams is the official Georgia House District 37 winner after a recount.

Mary Frances Williams, Georgia House District 37 winner

The recount was requested by her opponent, incumbent Republican State Rep. Sam Teasley, after he finished 137 votes behind Williams, a Democrat from Marietta.

She was initially certified as the winner on Monday. In the recount, she still had the same 11,928 votes she received in the general election, while Teasley lost a vote, totaling 11,754.

Teasley, a real estate agent, has represented the district that includes a portion of Northeast Cobb since 2010.

Williams, who was running for elected office for the first time, is the daughter of a former Marietta mayor and legislator and has been a lobbyist for children’s issues at the General Assembly.

She is one of three Democratic challengers to defeat Republican incumbents in East Cobb races on Nov. 6. Lucy McBath ousted U.S. Rep. Karen Handel in the 6th Congressional District election, while Charisse Davis beat Scott Sweeney for a seat on the Cobb Board of Education.

Also on Friday the Cobb elections board revised its overall county certified vote totals to include six more voters who cast provisional ballots.

Cobb Elections also has released a precinct-by-precinct breakdown of state and local races, as well as ballot issues, that were on the general election ballot.

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Recount ordered for Georgia House District 37 election

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The Cobb Board of Elections will conduct a recount into one of the closest legislative races in the state this year, in Georgia House District 37.Sam Teasley, Georgia House District 37

The district includes part of Northeast Cobb, as well most of the city of Marietta and some of west Cobb.

The recount was requested by Republican State Rep. Sam Teasley (pictured), who according to results certified Monday by Cobb Elections lost to Democrat Mary Frances Williams by 137 votes.

According to official numbers, Williams received 11,928 votes (50.34 percent), to 11,755 votes for Teasley, or 49.61 percent.

Teasley, first elected in 2010, is a real estate agent who works out of the Atlanta Communities office on Roswell Road in East Cobb.

Williams is a first-time candidate who has been a children’s advocate at the Georgia General Assembly. Her late father was the mayor of Marietta and served in the legislature.

According to Cobb Elections Supervisor Janine Eveler, her agency will conduct the recount at its offices on Whitlock Avenue in Marietta. The Cobb Board of Elections, which is appointed, is tentatively set to meet to certify the recount at noon Friday, according to county spokesman Ross Cavitt.

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