East Cobb Politics & Elections Archives

Candidates on the Issues: Cobb Commission District 3

May 18, 2018 3:21 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Commission District 3 map — *Cobb Elections map*

This is part of a week-long series of posts on East Cobb News about candidates in the May 22 primaries where there are contested party races. This post includes information about those vying for Cobb Commission District 3.

There are two Republicans and two Democrats on the primary ballot. District 3 includes most of Northeast Cobb, the Town Center Mall area and a good bit of the city of Marietta. It has been redrawn since the Republican incumbent, JoAnn Birrell, was first elected in 2010.

JoAnn BIrrell — *Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell*

Birrell, a former lobbyist and consultant, is seeking her third term. She is touting her record against tax hikes, greater support for public safety and advocating redevelopment of the Canton Road corridor and the creation of Mabry Park.

She voted to cut the millage rate in 2016, and said she does not support raising the property tax millage rate to help solve Cobb estimated $30 million to $55 million budget for fiscal year 2019.

Birrell has advocated for the creation of a special one-cent sales tax earmarked for the Cobb Police Department, similar to what exists for the Cobb Fire Department, with a corresponding reduction in the general fund millage rate. No state legislation for a referendum was submitted.

Last year, Birrell came under fire for proposing the closure of the East Cobb Library, which is on the potential closing list again this year.

Her GOP opponent is Tom Cheek, an account manager for a software firm that services the restaurant industry. He recently moved into the district from West Cobb and was a vocal critic of former Cobb commission Chairman Tim Lee regarding his handling of the Atlanta Braves stadium deal.

Cheek has campaigned on reforming SPLOST, reducing county spending and curbing development that doesn’t conform to the land use plan.

He’s also fought the county on reforming the Cobb Medical Examiner’s Office and filed suit against Cobb in 2016, claiming a pedestrian bridge to SunTrust Park was improperly earmarked with 2016 SPLOST funds.

His SPLOST proposal calls for having a referendum to remove what he calls “infeasible” projects on the 2016 SPLOST.

Cheek also opposes TODs, or “transit-oriented developments” along Highway 41 and is skeptical of a state law passed this year creating a new metro Atlanta transit authority.

At a recent candidates forum, he also said he wants to see more detailed figures about how big the county budget gap really is.

Home-schooling mother Caroline Holko is running as a Democrat, and she admits to having liberal views in what’s regarded as a conservative district.

She supports greater transit options for Cobb citizens and is not opposed to raising the millage rate in paying for services such as libraries and senior services, saying raising the millage rate by 1 mill would cost the owner of a $250,000 home an extra $100 a year.

At a candidates forum this month, she said “I don’t really support any significant budget cuts.” Holko also has asked for an audit of the Cobb Tax Assessors office. She has said her support for a property tax increase is predicated on “realistic property assessments.”

Jim Smith, Cobb Commission District 3 candidate — *Jim Smith*

Retired Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority manager Jim Smith, who has been involved with the Canton Road Neighors civic group, is the other Democrat, and like Holko he is a first-time candidate.

In the campaign he has been vocal about paying county employees better. “We’re trying to do more with less,” he said at a campaign forum this month. “We’re not giving people a living wage and benefits to keep them here.”

Smith has been critical of Birrell’s and Cheek’s opposition to raising taxes, and on his Facebook page has detailed delays in road repairs as an example of lagging county services due to tight spending.

Related coverage

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Candidates on the Issues: Georgia State House District 44

May 16, 2018 6:09 AM by Wendy Parker

This is part of a week-long series of posts on East Cobb News about candidates in the May 22 primaries where there are contested party races. In the East Cobb area, there are five such contested races. This post includes information about those vying for Georgia State House District 44.

There are two Republicans and one Democrat on the May 22 primary ballot. District 44 includes a major portion of Northeast Cobb (see map above) and areas around and including Town Center Mall.

Incumbent Republican State Rep. Don Parsons is running to retain the seat he has held since 1995. A long-time Bell South employee, and now a consultant in the telecommunications industry, Parsons is chairman of the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee, and is a member of the Appropriations Committee, the Health & Human Services Committee and the Ways & Means Committee.

He has been a vocal advocate for expanding 5G wireless technology across the state, and has said on his Facebook page that if re-elected “in the 2019 Georgia General Assembly, it is imperative that we eliminate barriers put in place by many Georgia municipalities and counties.”

He also has supported cutting personal and business income tax rates, additional funding for public K-12 education in Georgia and a proposed constitutional amendment on the November general election ballot for victims’ rights.

Parsons has not taken a formal position on transit options currently facing the Cobb Board of Commissioners following the passage of a metro-wide transit bill, HB 930, in the legislature this year. Here’s more on his campaign website.

His Republican opponent is Homer Crothers, a retired consultant in the manufacturing industry who considers himself a strong conservative. He supports full funding of the Quality Basic Education Act and reducing the state income tax.

Crothers does not have a campaign website but he does have a Facebook page outlining some of his positions, including being pro-life and espousing many other traditionally conservative views.

Crothers, who says he is running to be a “citizen legislator,” also has been active in his community association, and is current president of the Ebenezer Farms Homeowners Association.

Awaiting either Parsons or Crothers in November is Democrat Chinita Allen, a longtime school teacher in Cobb County, currently at Chalker Elementary School. She is unopposed in the primary.

According to her campaign website, her top priorities would be economic development, education, health and civil rights.

Allen advocates increased education spending for K-12. A member of the Georgia Science Teachers Association and a Georgia STEM Laureate, she said the state needs to establish more “science, STEM and career pathways.”

Related coverage

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Candidates on the Issues: Georgia State House District 37

May 14, 2018 3:59 PM by Wendy Parker

Georgia House District 37 Democrats — *Cobb Board of Elections*

This is the first of a week-long series of posts on East Cobb News about candidates in the May 22 primaries where there are contested party races. In the East Cobb area, there are five such contested races. To start here is information about those vying for Georgia State House District 37.

There are three Democrats on the May 22 primary ballot, with the winner facing Republican incumbent Sam Teasley, who has no GOP opposition.

District 37 includes portions of Northeast Cobb (see map above) as well as a good bit of the city of Marietta and some of West Cobb.

Bill Bolton, Georgia State House District 37 Democrats — *Bill Bolton*

Bill Bolton is an engineering consultant who lives in East Cobb. On his website, he has laid out details on a number of issues, and wants to limit resources for the implementation of Obamacare, educate the children of immigrants “and work with them and their families to return to their countries,” reduce drug crimes to misdemeanors and support the creation of casinos in Georgia under the state lottery.

“I am a Democrat and I want my party to change. Obviously, I am not a Republican but I have been labeled as a libertarian in prior races,” said Bolton, who has previously run for governor and for mayor of Marietta. He also ran for the 37th district seat in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Here’s more from Bolton about other issues.

Ragin Edwards of East Cobb was a candidate in the 2017 6th Congressional District special election. A global sales operations manager for a technology firm, Edwards is a graduate of Pope High School and Georgia Tech.

Ragin Edwards, Georgia House District 37 Democrats — *Ragin Edwards*

On her campaign website Edwards said she is running for what she calls “common sense gun reform,” improving education in Georgia, tax legislation to benefit middle-class families and state Medicaid expansion, among other issues (more on her platform here).

Her campaign slogan is “Truth and Transparency Now!” and she calls herself “the voice for the unheard.” Here’s more from Edwards about her candidacy.

Mary Frances Williams has lived in the city of Marietta all her life, and her late father, Howard Atherton, served as Marietta mayor and in the legislature.

Mary Frances Williams, Georgia House District 37 Democrats — *Mary Frances Williams*

A social worker, she has been a lobbyist for various family and children’s non-profits at the state capitol. Williams’ priorities include better funding of public education, improving access to health care and transportation issues. Here’s more from Williams on those and other issues.

On her Facebook page she said while she applauds Gov. Nathan Deal’s decision to fully fund Quality Basic Education, “the Quality Basic Education formula is 33 years old and needs to be modernized. When elected, I look forward to working to update the way public education is funded in Georgia.”

State Rep. Sam Teasley, Georgia State House District 37 — *State Rep. Sam Teasley*

Teasley is the vice chairman of the House Republican Caucus and was first elected to represent District 37 in 2010. He serves on the following committees: Banks and Banking; Education; Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications; Ethics; Insurance; and Ways and Means.

A realtor, Teasley believes in limited government and his campaign website indicates that his top priorities are job creation, education and government accountability.

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East Cobb advance voting for May 22 primaries starts Monday

May 12, 2018 12:05 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Government Service Center, East Cobb advance voting

One more week remains until the May 22 primaries, and East Cobb advance voting will take place during that week.

Any eligible voters can vote Monday-Friday, May 14-18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road). The same hours and dates are also in effect for other advance voting locations, and you’re free to vote there also, regardless of where you live:

South Cobb Community Center, 620 Lions Club Drive, Mableton;
Boots Ward Recreation Center (Lost Mountain Park), 4845 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs;
NorthStar Church, 3413 Blue Springs Road NW Kennesaw.

Advance voting also continues from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Cobb Elections headquarters, 736 Whitlock Ave., Marietta.

There is no advance voting next Saturday, May 19, or next Monday, May 21.

As of Friday, Cobb Elections said that 2,303 individuals had voted early in person, and another 902 had done so by mail.

If you’re waiting to vote on May 22 and you’re not sure where your precinct is, you can check at the Georgia Secretary of State’s website.

Cobb commission District 3 candidates discusses taxes, budget deficits and more at civic forum

May 1, 2018 9:50 PM by Wendy Parker

Three of the four Cobb commission District 3 candidates on the May 22 primary ballot turned out Tuesday night for a wide-ranging forum in Marietta, and explained their views on the county budget, spending and taxes, traffic and transit, zoning and development and other issues.

Tom Cheek, Cobb commission District 3 candidates — *Tom Cheek*

The only candidate not present was the person who currently holds that Northeast Cobb seat. Republican JoAnn Birrell, who is running for her third term, was a no-show at the forum, which was sponsored by the Cobb County Civic Coalition.

The other sitting commissioner seeking re-election, Republican Bob Weatherford of District 1 in West Cobb, also was absent.

The event was moderated by Dick Yarbrough, a columnist for The Marietta Daily Journal.

The two Democratic District 3 candidates, James Smith and Caroline Holko, said they favored raising the millage rate to solve the county’s estimated $30 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2019.

Birrell’s primary opponent, civic activist and software account manager Tom Cheek, who described himself as a “ferocious taxpayer advocate,” said he wants to see more detailed figures about how big the budget gap really is.

“No one has convinced me of the accuracy” of the projected budget deficit, he said in response to an audience question posed to all the candidates. “Until we get a grip on proper budgeting . . . I’m not ready to give up the millage rate we have now.”

Cheek advocates taking unused SPLOST dollars for lower-tier projects and placing them in the general fund budget (via a referendum process), looking to privatize some government functions and getting out of “the parking deck business . . . the golf course business . . . and the [Braves] stadium security business.”

The Cobb general fund millage rate is currently 6.76, a figure that was lowered in 2016. Birrell, who has said she does not favor increasing property taxes, voted for that reduction.

Smith, a retired Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority manager who’s involved with the Canton Road Neighbors civic group, frequently cited the lack of pay raises and benefits for county workers in his remarks about taxes.

He noted that salaries for Cobb firefighters and police officers are 12 and 17 percent, respectively, below the national average. “We’re trying to do more with less,” he said. “We’re not giving people a living wage and benefits to keep them here.”

While Cobb rightfully touts itself as having one of the lowest tax rates in the metro Atlanta area, Smith said, “but at what cost?”

Cheek also noted that a starting full-time police officer’s salary in Cobb is less than the pay for a part-time county commissioner, and he would work to change that.

Holko, a former non-profit administrator and home-schooling mother with liberal views, admitted she doesn’t come from a “traditional political background” in a conservative district. She advocates more transit options for Cobb citizens, and opposes proposed cuts in the Cobb library system and increases in fees for senior services.

James Smith, Cobb commission District 3 candidates — *James Smith*

Holko said raising the property tax rate one mill would cost an average Cobb homeowner around $100 more a year. “I can blow that in Target in about five minutes,” she said.

She and her family moved to Cobb from New Orleans several years ago, attracted by the tax rate but also the services they provide.

However, she said, “to watch that continued to be chipped away at is heartbreaking.”

When asked to specify how she would cut the budget, she said “I don’t really support any significant budget cuts.”

Smith said he would like to see the line items in county government departments, and it’s “darn near impossible” to get that information now.

Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce, a Republican from East Cobb, has suggested a 1.1-mills increase but hasn’t released a full budget proposal. He’s scheduled budget town hall meetings for next month, with budget adoption in July.

Cobb commission candidates forum slated for Tuesday

April 29, 2018 12:26 PM by Wendy Parker

This week may be your only occasion to hear all Cobb commission candidates in one place, in both parties, before the May 22 primaries.

There’s a forum sponsored by the Cobb County Civic Coalition Tuesday, and Democratic and Republican candidates for District 3 in Northeast Cobb and District 1 in North Cobb have been invited to attend.

The forum lasts from 7-9 p.m. and will be held on the second floor of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.

That’s the meeting room for the Cobb Board of Commissioners, and if you can’t attend the forum it will be shown on the Cobb government access channel, TV 23 for Comcast subscribers.

The District 3 seat is being contested in both parties. Republican incumbent JoAnn Birrell is seeking her third term.

She is being opposed by Tom Cheek, a civic activist who filed ethics complaints against former Cobb commission chairman Tim Lee for his handling of the Atlanta Braves stadium deal. A software account manager, Cheek is a first-time candidate for public office.

On the Democratic side, two first-time candidates are running as well: retired Cobb water system employee James Smith, and Caroline Holko, a stay-at-home mother.

Here are the District 3 candidates websites:

Advance voting for the primaries begins on Monday, and Cobb Elections is looking for poll workers to help out on May 22 and beyond.

Here’s a rundown on East Cobb-area public offices that will be on the ballot, and we’ll have more shortly on those races that have contested primaries.

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Cobb Elections recruiting poll workers for primaries; advance voting starts Monday

April 27, 2018 5:00 PM by Wendy Parker

Less than a month remains before local, federal and state primary elections, and Cobb Elections is looking for individuals to work at the polls for the May primaries and beyond.

Advance voting begins on Monday at the Cobb Elections office in Marietta. The East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) will have advance voting the week of May 14-18.

According to Cobb Elections supervisor Janine Eveler, there are 144 precincts that will be in operation on May 22, the formal primary election day. Any runoffs will take place on July 24, and the general elections are Nov. 6.

Here’s more from her about how to apply to be a poll worker and how much you’ll be paid, including required training.

If you want to vote before May 22 or before the East Cobb advance voting week, you’ll have to go the Cobb Elections office (West Park Government Center, 736 Whitlock Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday-Friday between April 30 and May 18.

In addition, there will be Saturday advance voting on May 12 at the same location, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, call Cobb Elections at 770-528-2581.

In case you missed it, here’s the Cobb consolidated ballot for the primaries, as well as customizable ballots for your precinct.

And here are the primary and general election candidates who’ve qualified in East Cobb races, from U.S. Congress, Georgia governor and other statewide positions to legislative, county commissioner, school board and county judgeships.

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Cobb sample ballots available for May 22 primaries; only a week left to register to vote

April 16, 2018 5:12 PM by Wendy Parker

Voters in the May 22 primaries in Georgia can now get a sneak preview of whom they’ll be voting for. Countywide, consolidated Cobb sample ballots (Republican, Democratic and non-partisan) have been released by the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration.

Voters can also customize their own ballots by going to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office website, and choosing from one of those three ballot options.

If you request a Democratic ballot, you will find four non-binding questions added by the Democratic Party of Georgia to gauge the mood of party voters. They include whether they approve of the following:

requiring the sale of bump stocks on firearms;
support expansion of state Medicaid funding;
allow for the creation of an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission;
investing “a substantial amount” of tax dollars on mass transit.

Just a week remains for those who haven’t registered to vote to do so. The deadline to sign up online or in person is next Tuesday, April 24. Absentee balloting also is underway. To request a ballot, visit the Cobb Elections website or get more information by calling 770-528-2581.

Related coverage

Who’s qualified to run for East Cobb elected offices

The Cobb Republican Women’s Club is continuing candidate forums this week for a number of state, local and federal races (previous East Cobb News post here).

On Tuesday, the session includes candidates in several East Cobb-area legislative races. On Wednesday, the forums will include the contested GOP primary for District 3 of the Cobb Board of Commissioners between incumbent JoAnn Birrell and challenger Tom Cheek.

The forums last from 7-9 p.m. each evening in the Cobb Board of Commissioners 2nd floor meeting room, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta. TV coverage will be provided by Channel 23, the Cobb government cable access channel (on Comcast), as well as livestreaming at cobbcounty.org.

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Cobb Republican Women’s Club candidate forums start Tuesday

April 9, 2018 1:44 PM by Wendy Parker

Tuesday night is the first of several rounds of Cobb Republican Women’s Club candidate forums for several state and local races in the May 22 GOP primary.

(Tonight, GOP Georgia Secretary of State candidates will have a forum at Lassiter High School starting at 7.)

The first of the Cobb Republican Women’s Club forums includes candidates for governor and Congress (including the 6th House District seat held by U.S. Rep. Karen Handel) on Tuesday.

The forum lasts from 7-9 p.m. in the Cobb Board of Commissioners 2nd floor meeting room, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta. TV coverage will be provided by Channel 23, the Cobb government cable access channel (on Comcast), as well as livestreaming at cobbcounty.org.

The same time venue, and television/streaming availability will be in place for the other forums. On Wednesday, the offices include lieutenant governor, secretary of state and more legislative offices, including State. Sen. District 32 held by Kay Kirkpatrick of East Cobb.

Handel and Kirkpatrick were the only Republicans to qualify in their respective races, and will have Democratic opposition in November.

East Cobb candidates in May primaries, general election

Next Tuesday, April 17, forums for a number of East Cobb-area offices will take place, including House seats held by the following Republican incumbents who have qualified to run: 37 (Sam Teasley), 43 (Sharon Cooper), 44 (Don Parsons), 45 (Matt Dollar) and 46 (John Carson), as well as Post 4 Cobb Board of Education (David Chastain).

Only two have primary opponents. Cooper is being challenged by business owner Kevin W. James, and Parsons by retiree Homer Crothers. The other state house members and Chastain will have Democratic opposition in November.

The final forum on April 18 includes candidates for Cobb commission, Cobb school board Post 6 and other statewide offices and judicial posts.

The Cobb GOP District 3 primary includes two-term incumbent JoAnn Birrell and software account manager Tom Cheek. Scott Sweeney, who has represented Post 6 (Walton and Wheeler districts) for two terms, has no primary opposition. Democrats have qualified to run for both of those seats.

Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt said there will be no replays of the forums on television or streaming.

If you haven’t registered to vote in the primary, the deadline is April 24. Here’s more about how to do that, and information about advance voting and absentee balloting, which is already underway.

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Cobb voter registration deadline for most 2018 elections is April 24

April 8, 2018 3:52 PMApril 4, 2018 12:45 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb voter registration deadline for most of this year’s local, state and federal elections is fast approaching.

The deadline to register to vote in most of those elections is April 24. Those elections include the May 22 primaries and any runoffs that will be held on July 24.

This is going to be a busy election season for East Cobb voters, with contested races for District 3 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners, Post 6 on the Cobb Board of Education, several legislative seats and the 6th District Congressional seat.

In addition, statewide offices, including governor, as will as state and local judicial posts, will be on 2018 ballots.

Related coverage

Who’s qualified to run for East Cobb elected offices

You can register to vote, or check your registration status and precinct information, by visiting the Georgia Secretary of State’s website.

The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration is also mailing out absentee ballots for those who’d rather vote that way. Voters don’t have to give a reason when applying for an absentee ballot, but they should consider applying early to allow for mailing time.

Absentee ballots must be received at the Cobb elections office by 7 p.m. on May 22.

To request a ballot, visit the Cobb Elections website and get more information by calling 770-528-2581.

In addition to absentee ballots, advance voting will once again take place. That period will run from April 30-May 18, and will include a full week of advance voting May 14-18 at the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road).

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East Cobb Elections Qualifying: Birrell, state legislators have primary foes

March 9, 2018 10:35 PMMarch 9, 2018 4:18 PM by Wendy Parker

Qualifying for 2018 state, federal and local races is ending on Friday, and in East Cobb a number of incumbents will have party opposition in the May 22 primary.

The most-watched race figures to be the District 3 seat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners. Republican incumbent JoAnn Birrell has qualified, and is being opposed in the primary by Tom Cheek, who recently moved into the Northeast Cobb district.

Cheek, a software account manager, is campaigning on a platform favoring low taxes and reduced spending to solve the Cobb government budget deficit, and opposes high-density development. He stepped into the public spotlight after filing ethics complaints against former Cobb commission chairman Tim Lee for his handling of the Atlanta Braves stadium deal.

Tom Cheek, Cobb commission candidate — *Tom Cheek*

Birrell has served as District 3 representative since 2011, when she succeeded Lee, and has been highly visible in the community. She has been active with Keep Cobb Beautiful, the Northeast Cobb Business Association and Superior Pets for Patriotic Pets. She also was a strong advocate for the creation of Mabry Park, which recently began construction.

The Democrats to qualify are retiree James Smith and Caroline Holko, a stay-at-home mother.

Congress

First-term U.S. Rep. Karen Handel is the only Republican to qualify for the Georgia 6th District seat that includes East Cobb.

Handel, elected last June to succeed Tom Price in a special election, will await the winner of a four-way Democratic primary in May. She won’t be facing Jon Ossoff, whom she beat last summer in the most expensive Congressional election in history. He has opted not to run for a seat that also includes north Fulton and north and central DeKalb.

The Democratic candidates include Bobby Kaple, a former news anchor at CBS 46, technology consultant Kevin Abel, management consultant Steven Knight Griffin and gun-control advocate Lucy McBath, a former Delta flight attendant who lives in East Cobb.

Her son, Jordan Davis, was shot and killed in 2012 at a gas station in Jacksonville, Fla., by another motorist in an altercation over loud music. The killer received life in prison. McBath had intended to run for the Georgia legislature but changed her filing to Congress after the deadly Feb. 14 school shootings in Parkland, Fla.

Georgia legislature

There will be a rematch of last year’s special election in State Senate District 32. Incumbent Republican Kay Kirkpatrick, a retired orthopedic surgeon, will be opposed by her 2017 opponent, Democratic attorney Christine Triebsch, in November. The district covers most of East Cobb and part of north Fulton.

In State House District 37, incumbent Sam Teasley is the only Republican to qualify. The Democratic primary will include computer consultant Bill Bolden, social worker Mary Frances Williams and sales manager Ragin Edwards.

Longtime Republican State Rep. Sharon Cooper of District 43 has a Republican opponent in Kevin W. James, who owns a media production company in East Cobb. The lone Democrat to qualify is Luisa Wakeman, a flight attendant.

Don Parsons, incumbent in State House District 44, also has opposition from retiree Homer Crothers in the GOP primary. Chinita Allen, a teacher at Chalker Elementary School, has qualified as a Democrat.

In State House District 45, Republican incumbent Matt Dollar will not have a primary challenger. His Democratic opponent in November will be Essence Johnson, a human resources and operations manager.

Another East Cobb legislative seat also will pit a Republican incumbent against a Democratic foe in November. District 46 State Rep. John Carson has qualified and will face Karín Sandiford, a technology consultant and entrepreneur.

Cobb school board

Two of the three East Cobb members on the Cobb Board of Education are up for re-election this year. In Post 6, two-term Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney, who represents the Walton, Wheeler and part of the Campbell high school attendance zones, has qualified and has no primary opposition. His general election opponent in November will be Democrat Charisse Davis of Smyrna, a public librarian and former school teacher.

Charisse Davis, Cobb Board of Education candidate — *Charisse Davis*

Republican David Chastain of Post 4 in Northeast Cobb has qualified to run for a second term and has not drawn any party opposition in an area that includes the Kell and Sprayberry attendance zones.

His Democratic opponent in November will be Cynthia Parr.

Judgeships

Several Cobb judicial posts will also be decided this year in non-partisan elections.

Three Cobb Superior Court posts are up for election this year, and incumbents Ann Harris, Robert Leonard and Robert Flournoy are the only qualifiers.

For Cobb State Court Judge Div. 2, Post 4 incumbent Bridgette Campell is the only candidate to qualify. The same goes for incumbent Post 3 judge Henry Thompson and Jason Fincher in Post 1. The only candidate qualifying for State Court Judge Post 5 is incumbent David Darden.

Republican incumbent Cobb Solicitor General Barry Morgan is the lone qualifier for that office, which prosecutes cases in State Court.

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Jon Ossoff won’t run for 6th Congressional District seat in 2018

February 23, 2018 5:27 PMFebruary 23, 2018 4:37 PM by Wendy Parker

After falling short in the most expensive campaign in U.S. House history last year, Democrat Jon Ossoff announced Friday he will not seek the 6th Congressional District seat in Georgia in 2018.

Ossoff, defeated by Republican Karen Handel in a special election runoff last June for the seat that includes East Cobb, said on his Twitter account this afternoon that he will not be making another challenge.

In a series of Tweets Ossoff said that “I’ve decided that this is not the moment for me to run again for Congress. But I’m not going anywhere. Your trust, energy, and support last year meant the world to me. I’m in this with all of you for the long haul.”

Ossoff said he is continuing his work as an investigative documentary filmmaker but that “I’ll be actively supporting great Democratic candidates in 2018.”

Qualifying for 2018 elections in Georgia begins March 5, with primaries scheduled for May 22 for federal, state and local races.

Ossoff, a former Congressional aide from DeKalb County, earned nationwide attention and raised nearly $30 million in his bid to succeed former U.S. Rep. Tom Price in a seat that has been in Republican hands since Newt Gingrich’s arrival in 1978.

He won a “jungle primary” last April with 48 percent of the vote, barely missing outright election in what would have been a major upset. Instead, he faced Handel, a former Georgia Secretary of State and candidate for governor and U.S. Senator, in a two-month runoff.

He used much of his campaign funding for television commercials that flooded Atlanta airwaves for months, as well as frequent mailers, phone calls and text messages and door-to-door leafletting.

In her ads, Handel, who’s from Roswell, made frequent reference to Ossoff’s residence in DeKalb County, outside the 6th District boundaries.

She got a strong showing from heavily Republican precincts in East Cobb to defeat Ossoff 51-48 for the right to fill the remainder of Price’s term. He vacated the seat after the 2016 election to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services,but was forced to resign in September after reports that he spent several hundred thousand dollars at taxpayers’ expense flying charter planes, sometimes for personal as well as government reasons.

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State Rep. John Carson to discuss Georgia distracted driving legislation

January 3, 2018 6:08 PM by Wendy Parker

State Rep. John Carson, chairman of the House Study Committee on Distracted Driving, said Wednesday he is holding a press conference a week from now, on Jan. 10, to detail Georgia distracted driving legislation for the upcoming session of the legislature.

Carson, a Republican from Northeast Cobb, will also discuss the committee’s final report, which was issued in December and includes legislative recommendations (full report is here).

On Tuesday, the City of Smyrna became the first municipality in the state to pass a hands-free driving ordinance (report here via the Cobb County Courier), but only after Mayor Max Bacon voted to break a tie on the city council.

A poll cited by Carson’s study committee found that two-thirds of Georgians favor a hands-free driving law in Georgia (66.4 percent), with nearly 22 percent undecided.

“I’m encouraged to see that the majority of Georgia voters are supportive of a hands-free driving law in our state,” Carson said in a statement in December. “Last year alone, over 1,500 people died in automobile accidents on Georgia roads, and according to a recent poll, over 82 percent of Georgia voters believe that texting while driving is a major contributing factor to the increased number of auto accidents. Distracted diving is an extremely serious public safety concern, and it is absolutely essential that this issue is addressed in the 2018 General Assembly session to prevent further distracted driving-related car crashes and fatalities.”

The poll was conducted by in October by Landmark Communications, Inc. of Alpharetta, and surveyed 700 randomly selected active Georgia voters.

The study committee also is recommending an increase in the current $150 fine for distract driving on a staggering scale, up to $1,000 for serious, repeat offenders, and to boost the driver’s license penalty by 2 to 4 points on a staggering scale, from the current 1-point penalty for a distracted driving offense.

The committee recommended against a total ban on use of mobile devices in vehicles, saying it’s not realistic. No other state has such a law.

Carson’s study committee found that 13 of the 15 states with hands-free laws have seen an average decrease of 17.5 percent in traffic fatalities two years after passing and enforcing those laws.

The panel also noted that Georgia’s anti-texting law, which went into effect in 2010, has been difficult to enforce because law enforcement officers are unable to determine whether motorists are using their phones to text or for other purposes.

The 2018 legislative session begins on Monday. Carson’s press conference is Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 2 p.m on the second floor of the rotunda of the Georgia State Capitol, 206 Washington St. SW, Atlanta.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Handel, Isakson and Perdue hail passage of tax reform bill

December 20, 2017 12:40 PMDecember 20, 2017 11:44 AM by Wendy Parker

U.S. Rep. Karen Handel (R-Roswell), who represents East Cobb in the 6th Congressional District of Georgia, was among those lawmakers voting for major tax legislation on Tuesday.

Georgia’s two Republican senators, Johnny Isakson of East Cobb and David Perdue of Macon, voted with the majority in a 51-48 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act early Wednesday morning.

The $1.5 trillion measure was sent back to the House this morning for a revote because of minor provisions ruled to have violated Senate rules, but passage is expected a second time. The House vote on Tuesday was 227-203, and as in the Senate, went mainly along party lines.

Democrats decried the bill as tax cuts for the wealthy and for major corporate interests that would significantly add to the national debt. Republicans hailed the first major overhaul of the tax code in nearly 30 years as beneficial for job creation and the middle class.

The bill calls for a wide variety of tax cuts for individuals and businesses and eliminates tax deductions in a number of categories. Individual taxpayers will see the doubling of their standard deductions and the doubling of the child tax credit, while general corporate tax rates will be reduced across the board.

On the Senate floor, Isakson said that:

“When you take a risk, at the end of that rainbow is a reward. And in the case of risking lower taxes, the greater reward is more jobs, more opportunity, and a better America for our children and our grandchildren.”

Here’s his full statement.

Perdue said:

“This is an historic achievement. These changes to the tax code mean greater job opportunities, more capital at work in our economy, and more money back in the pockets of middle-class American families.”

Handel, who was elected in June to succeed Tom Price, issued the following statement after one of her first major votes as a member of Congress:

“This is a historic moment. The provisions of this tax cut bill will be transformative for hardworking American families and American companies, especially our small businesses.

“More than half of Americans currently live paycheck to paycheck. In the end, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is about letting hardworking Americans keep more of their money. The typical American family of four earning the median family income of $73,000 will see a tax cut of $2,059.”

This bill, which is the result of compromise negotiations between the House and Senate, lowers federal income tax rates for all low and middle-income Americans. It also nearly doubles the standard deduction, increases the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000 per child, retains deductibility of up to $10,000 in state and local property taxes, and preserves $750,000 in mortgage interest deduction benefits.

Additionally, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% – helping put U.S. companies on par with the global averages and their international competitors. America’s current corporate rate is far and away the highest in the industrialized world, as these other nations place – on average – a roughly 22% rate on their corporations.

Most of America’s small businesses will have their rates slashed from the current 40% down to 25%. And each of these entities will be able to fully and immediately deduct investments in equipment and other resources.

“This bill also benefits America’s main street businesses – those small businesses that are the backbone of our economy and job creation. By lowering the small business tax rates, these companies can do what they do best – innovate and grow.”

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Georgia State Senate runoff culminates successful elections for female candidates

December 6, 2017 9:39 AM by Wendy Parker

Atlanta attorney Jen Jordan won a Georgia State Senate runoff special election Tuesday that includes a portion of Cobb County. Her election also wound up a successful year of political campaigns in metro Atlanta and Georgia by female candidates.

In an all-Democratic race, Jordan easily defeated Jaha Howard, a Vinings dentist, to claim the Georgia State Senate District 6 seat vacated by Republican Hunter Hill, who is running for Georgia governor. Jordan received 10,681 votes, or 64 percent, to 6,017 votes for Howard, or 36 percent (full results here).

The district includes south Cobb, the Terrell Mill precinct in the Powers Ferry area and part of the city of Atlanta. Howard won the Cobb portion by a 60-40 margin, but Jordan, a self-described progressive, won her home base in Fulton by a 74-26 percent margin.

She was endorsed by former Cobb state representative Stacey Evans, who also is running for governor.

Tuesday also saw the second female elected mayor of Atlanta, as city council member Keisha Lance Bottoms edged fellow council member Mary Norwood in a hotly-contested runoff. Norwood, who was supported by Shirley Franklin, Atlanta’s first female mayor, has asked for a a recount.

Felicia Moore was elected president of the Atlanta City Council on Tuesday, and Roswell’s new mayor is Lori Henry, who succeeds longtime mayor Jere Wood.

Smyrna elected its first black member of the city council, Maryline Blackburn, and Cheryl Richardson won a seat on the Marietta City Council.

In conservative East Cobb, Republican women also won special elections this summer. Kay Kirkpatrick, a retired surgeon at Resurgens Orthopedics and a longtime civic leader with the East Cobb Rotary Club, won a special election to succeed State Sen. Judson Hill in District 32.

He resigned to run for the 6th District Congressional seat won by former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel. She downed heavily-financed Democratic novice Jon Ossoff in a race watched around the nation.

*U.S. Rep. Karen Handel got strong support in East Cobb in her bid to succeed Tom Price.*

Handel earned some of her biggest margins in East Cobb, where she was strongly supported by Cobb commissioners Bob Ott and JoAnn Birrell.

Birrell, who represents District 3 in Northeast Cobb, is up for re-election next year, and has already drawn Republican primary opposition from Tom Cheek, who sued Cobb County and filed an ethics complaint against former commission chairman Tim Lee over the Atlanta Braves stadium vote.

Handel and Kirkpatrick also have to run for re-election in 2018, as does East Cobb Republican State Rep. Sharon Cooper, a longtime member of the state house. All seats in the legislature will be on the ballot, as well as governor and other statewide offices.

Two East Cobb posts on the Cobb Board of Education will also be up for election in 2018. They are currently held by Republicans Scott Sweeney of Post 6 (Walton and Wheeler high school districts) and David Chastain of Post 4, which includes the Kell and Sprayberry districts.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Early voting continues this week in Georgia State Senate special election runoff

November 28, 2017 3:44 PMNovember 28, 2017 10:42 AM by Wendy Parker

A handful of East Cobb voters are eligible to cast a ballot in next Tuesday’s Georgia State Senate special election runoff. Early voting continues through this week for the District 6 race between Democrats Jaha Howard and Jon Jordan.

The voting location through Friday for this race is the Cobb Elections main office, 736 Whitlock Ave., Marietta. The hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

District 6 covers some of Cobb, Buckhead and Sandy Springs, and includes a portion of the Powers Ferry Road corridor in East Cobb. The seat was vacated by Republican Hunter Hill, who is running for Georgia governor.

There is no early voting on Monday. On Tuesday, District 6 voters in the Terrell Mill 1 precinct will be able to vote at Eastvalley Elementary School, 2570 Lower Roswell Road.

In the Nov. 7 jungle primary, Jordan, an Atlanta attorney, got 5,860 votes, or 24 percent. Howard, a Vinings dentist, got 5,398 votes, or 22 percent.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Georgia State Senate special election runoff features two Democrats

November 8, 2017 2:00 PM by Wendy Parker

A Georgia State Senate seat that includes a small part of East Cobb is heading for a runoff, and two Democrats remain.

Jen Jordan, an Atlanta attorney, got 5,860 votes, or 24 percent, in the special election “jungle” primary in District 6. In the Dec. 5 runoff, she will face Jaha Howard, a Vinings dentist, who got 5,398 votes, or 22 percent.

Their all-Democratic runoff means the Republicans will lose a seat in the Senate. Incumbent Hunter Hill resigned from the long-held GOP seat, which covers some of Cobb, Buckhead and Sandy Springs, to run for governor.

The East Cobb portion of the district includes an area along Powers Ferry Road. In voting in that precinct, Terrell Mill 1 (Eastvalley Elementary School), Howard got 55 votes (52 percent) to 36 for Jordan (34 percent).

There were municipal elections Tuesday in Austell, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs and Smyrna, and a few of those races will have runoffs.

Those Dec. 5 runoffs will wind down a busy and dramatic election year that featured the nationally-watched 6th Congressional District special election won by Republican Karen Handel over Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Handel strongly carried Republican-heavy East Cobb, getting 58 percent of the vote.

East Cobb voters also elected a new state senator in Kay Kirkpatrick, a Republican and retired orthopedic surgeon, who succeeds Judson Hill. He ran for Congress and is contemplating a bid for Georgia Insurance Commissioner in 2018.

That will be one of many elections on the ballot next year, as statewide and legislative offices will be decided, in addition to Congressional seats and some state and local judgeships.

There will be a contested election for the District 3 Cobb Board of Commissioners seat in Northeast Cobb held by JoAnn Birrell. Tom Cheek, a civic activist who filed a lawsuit last year against Cobb County and filed an ethics complaint against former Chairman Tim Lee over the Atlanta Braves stadium vote, has announced his intention to run in the Republican primary.

Cheek, who resided in West Cobb, recently moved into the District and has set up a campaign website. Birrell, who is in her second term, has had a fundraising event this fall.

Two East Cobb posts on the Cobb Board of Education will also be on the ballot. They are currently held by Republicans Scott Sweeney of Post 6 (Walton and Wheeler high school districts) and David Chastain of Post 4, which includes the Kell and Sprayberry districts.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb schools closed Tuesday for local elections, special State Senate race

November 8, 2017 2:33 PMNovember 6, 2017 11:50 AM by Wendy Parker

Because of Tuesday’s elections, Cobb schools will be closed for classroom and other extracurricular events.

The Cobb County School District calls this a “student holiday,” and it will also be a professional learning day for teachers and staff.

Municipal elections are taking place across Georgia, including Marietta (whose schools will be open) and other Cobb cities.

There also is a special election being decided on Tuesday to fill a Georgia State Senate seat that includes a small portion of East Cobb. Here is a sample ballot for that race, which includes five Republicans and three Democrats.

A portion of the Powers Ferry Road corridor, below Terrell Mill Road, is located in the State Senate 6 district. That seat has been vacated by Hunter Hill, who is running for Georgia governor.

The candidates are Republicans Leah Aldridge, Matt Bentley, Kathy Eichenblatt, Charlie Fiveash and Leo Smith and Democrats Jaha Howard, Jen Jordan and Taos Wynn.

The district (map) includes most of Smyrna and the Cumberland area of Cobb and portions of Buckhead and Sandy Springs.

East Cobb’s Eastvalley Elementary School (2570 Lower Roswell Road), will serve as a polling station in the Terrell Mill 1 precinct for the state senate race. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Turnout is expected to be light.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Voter registration deadline approaching for Cobb 2017 elections

October 4, 2017 1:54 PM by Wendy Parker

Several municipalities and a special election to fill a vacant Georgia State Senate seat are on the Cobb 2017 elections ballot. The deadline to register is next Tuesday, Oct. 10 for the Nov. 7 elections.

The elections include the Ward 7 race in the City of Marietta, which contains a sliver of East Cobb. A portion of the Powers Ferry Road corridor, below Terrell Mill Road, is located in the State Senate 6 district. That seat has been vacated by Hunter Hill, who is running for Georgia governor.

East Cobb also contains some of Marietta’s Ward 6, but that election was cancelled because only one candidate, current council member Michelle Cooper Kelly, qualified to run. Here’s the full notice of cancellation, including East Cobb-area precincts that will not be open on Nov. 7.

Here’s a list of qualified candidates in running in Marietta municipal elections.

Voters already registered and who live in those areas don’t have to do anything. Those wishing to sign up who haven’t done so can complete the process by clicking the Georgia Secretary of State’s website.

Other Cobb cities with elections include Austell, Kennesaw, Powder Springs and Smyrna.

There are no Cobb, state or federal elections this year for East Cobb voters, aside from the special state senate election.

For more information visit the Cobb Elections website.

Former Ga. Congressman Tom Price resigns as HHS Secretary

September 30, 2017 10:47 AMSeptember 29, 2017 5:24 PM by Wendy Parker

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned on Friday afternoon following reports that he spent several hundred thousand dollars at taxpayers’ expense flying charter planes, sometimes for personal as well as government business.

Price is a Roswell Republican who represented East Cobb in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2006 until his appointment in February by President Donald Trump.

He is the first Trump cabinet member to step down from his position, although the administration has been unsettled by several firings and resignations within high levels of the White House staff.

Price served less than eight months in that role. He was succeeded in Congress by Karen Handel, who won a June special election against Democrat Jon Ossoff in what’s been regarded the most expensive U.S. House race in history.

Last week Politico first reported about Price’s plane travel, leading off with a government-funded trip to St. Simons Island, on the Georgia coast, for a medical conference. In all, Politico reported, Price took at least 26 trips on charter aircraft, which are far more expensive than commercial planes.

On Thursday Price said he would partially reimburse the federal government for his plane usage, which included military aircraft, reportedly after Trump expressed displeasure with the news.

Price, who also served in the Georgia State Senate, was an orthopedic physician before his political career in Washington.

A former House Budget Committee chairman, Price was the lead administration official in charge of White House efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and which has run into Republican opposition in the Senate.

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