The District 2 map with precincts identified by code. For a larger view, click here.
Voters in East Cobb will help determine the Democratic Party candidate for District 2 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners in Tuesday’s runoff election.
Voters will cast ballots at their regular precincts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. They must provide a photo or other official form of identification when they get to the polls.
The candidates are Jaha Howard, a former member of the Cobb Board of Education, and Taniesha Whorton, a former administrative assistant with the Cobb County Police Department.
They finished first and second, respectively, in a five-way primary on May 21.
Turnout has been light, with fewer than 1,000 casting votes in the advance voting period for the runoff last week.
District 2 is an open seat after current first-term Democrat Jerica Richardson decided to run for Congress.
She finished far behind current U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath in the Democratic primary for the 6th District.
Richardson was drawn out of her commission seat during reapportionment. She and the other two Democratic commissioners approved other maps that would place most of East Cobb in District 3.
It’s unclear at the moment who else will be running in District 2 in the general election in November.
Republican Alicia Adams filed to run in District 2 under the legislative maps, but was disqualified due to the map disputes.
She is challenging her disqualification in Cobb Superior Court, and a hearing is scheduled next Thursday before Judge Kellie Hill.
Cobb Republican activist Pamela Reardon qualified to run in the District 2 boundaries that are being observed for the Democratic Party.
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“Let’s give the voters the opportunity to decide,” Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said.
Cobb commissioners voted along party lines Tuesday to place a long-term transit sales tax referendum on the November general election ballot.
It will be up to voters to decide if they want to tax themselves for 30 years and collect nearly $11 billion to build out a comprehensive bus-centered system, including restoration of previous routes in East Cobb that were eliminated more than a decade ago.
The commission’s three Democrats voted in favor of putting the Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax on the ballot, while the two Republicans voted against.
If approved, the one-percent tax would increase the amount of sales taxes paid in Cobb from six to seven percent. Cobb DOT would build out a countywide bus transit system, including high-capacity routes and transfer stations, adding 108 miles.
Here’s how the referendum will be worded on the November ballot:
The Atlanta Regional Commission estimates that Cobb’s population in 2025 will approach one million.
Those in favor of the tax say that relieving congestion and providing transportation for those without vehicles is necessary for economic and quality of life, especially seniors and those who are financially challenged.
Among the priorities is re-establishing a bus route through the heart of East Cobb, from Marietta and along Roswell Road to the Johnson Ferry Road area, where a transit center would be built.
Bus routes to Roswell and the MARTA Dunwoody Station would link with the East Cobb transit center in the Merchants Walk area, according to the project list (you can read it here).
Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, in calling the opportunity to expand public transportation in Cobb “transformational,” implored her colleagues to let citizens decide their future.
“What it comes down to is do we perceive that the future is worth it?” Cupid said. “That the opportunity is worth it? Yes, the details do matter, but the opportunity and the vision also matter.”
But Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of District 3 in East Cobb repeated her objection to the duration of the tax, compared to other Cobb SPLOST collections ranging from four to six years.
“I can’t support binding not just future boards for 30 years but citizens, kids and grandchildren,” she said. “They’ll be paying that.”
Cobb DOT Director Drew Raessler explained that the 30-year length of the cost is due to the substantial operational costs that will be involved, and that the longer collection period would qualify for federal matching funds.
In order to provide “sustainable funding,” he said, a transit program needs “to have that consistent resource,” Raessler said.
If the tax is approved, Cobb would take out revenue bonds totalling $11 billion to get the program started. Once the collections roll in, the major routes would be built out and the bonds be repaid. With federal funds, Cobb could spend nearly $15 billion overall for the transit expansion.
Raessler estimated that most of that work would be finished within the first decade. Cobb would be able to fund all transit operations with the sales tax, instead of paying for the Cobb Community Transit system costs as it does now, through the county’s general fund.
Earlier this year, the MDJ reported that ridership across the overall Cobb bus system has plummeted from 3.7 million annual trips in 2014 to just under 1 million trips in 2022, and that the decline began well before COVID-19.
The county estimates that average daily ridership on the transit system could surpass 40,000 by 2025, near the end of the sales tax period. Currently, that figure is only around 3,000 riders a day.
Citizens spoke in public comment periods on both sides of the issue, but most of the supporters addressed the board before the vote, and opponents against (commissioners hold two separate public comment periods, and speakers speak in order of when they sign up).
Jim Kerr of East Cobb, who has lived in a home near Wheeler High School for 52 years, said “it’s time to think long-term about transportation in Cobb County.”
He said that while he will benefit little from a decision to approve a sales tax for transit, “I know that Cobb is becoming older and more diverse and that’s not going to change . . . Not in my backyard fails to recognize that we are all in this together. ”
Kennesaw resident Alicia Adams said a 30-year tax poses too much uncertainty, especially for people struggling to pay their bills now.
Alicia Adams of Kennesaw, who is legally challenging her disqualification for the District 2 commission race, said wasn’t speaking for or against the tax, but sympathized with citizens who are struggling with those making ends meet.
“Right now, there are a lot of families that can barely make their rent and pay for groceries,” she said. “And you’re asking them to pay additional money.
“Do I care about those who can’t get around? The seniors? Yes, I care,” she said. “But we’ve got to do it in a way that’s not invasive.
“Are we willing to put our children, our future at stake for 30 years of uncertainty?”
Cobb DOT officials will soon roll out public information and “education” sessions before the referendum. It also must provide a ridership survey ahead of the vote, as directed by the ATL, the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority.
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Advance in-person voting starts today, Monday, June 10, for the General and Nonpartisan runoff election. Three voting locations will be open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday -Friday, June 10-14:
Elections Main Headquarters, 995 Roswell Street NE, Marietta
East Cobb Government Center, 4400 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta
Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Drive, Kennesaw
The May election resulted in two runoffs in the Democratic contest:
Cobb Commission District 2 (Includes East Cobb, Smyrna and Vinings. See the District 2 map here: https://bit.ly/3z1qsDt)
The runoff date is Tuesday, June 18.< Only those who voted using the Democratic ballot in the May 21 race, voted nonpartisan, or did not cast a ballot in the May 21 election are eligible to vote in this runoff.
Last week East Cobb News profiled Taniesha Whorton, one of the Commission District 2 Democratic runoff candidates. Shortly we’ll be posting our interview with her opponent, Jaha Howard.
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!
Taniesha Whorton said she’s focusing her campaign efforts on the East Cobb area of District 2 in the June 18 runoff.
There were only a few upsets in Cobb results in the May 21 primary elections, and Taniesha Whorton’s finish in a five-way race for an open seat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners was among them.
A former administrative assistant in the Cobb County Police Department, the Smyrna-area resident finished second in the Democratic race for District 2 in her first-ever political campaign.
She outpolled former State Rep. Erick Allen and will face former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard in the runoff, which culminates on June 18.
The District 2 boundaries that are being observed by the Cobb Board of Elections include some of East Cobb, and are those adopted by Cobb’s Democratic commissioners in a home-rule dispute that continues in the courts.
Here’s Whorton’s campaign website; East Cobb News also has arranged an interview with Howard through his campaign and will be publishing that next week.
Advance runoff voting begins next week, and Whorton was out campaigning on Sunday at East Cobb Park, handing out fliers and meeting with potential voters during a concert.
In the primary, she won several East Cobb precincts, including Roswell 1, Hightower 1, Sewell Mill 1, Sewell Mill 3, Sope Creek 1, Sope Creek 2, Fullers Park 1, Mt. Bethel 4, Powers Ferry 1, Terrell Mill 1 and Chattahoochee 1.
A precinct map shows polling stations won by Howard in Green, Whorton in brown, Allen in blue and Kevin Redmon in turquoise. Click here to see precinct details.
Whorton said she worked on political campaigns in her native Michigan. An ordained minister, she moved to Georgia in 2016 to work with the Faith Christian Center Church in Austell, and also got involved in the Cobb Police Athletic League.
Now a senior executive with Bader Scott Injury Lawyers, Whorton—who holds an economics degree as well as an MBA and a master’s in government affairs—said she decided to get out from a behind-the-scenes role in a campaign and offer up herself as a candidate.
“People have told me that I have a lot to offer the county,” Whorton said. “I wanted to step out of the shadows.”
Whorton ran a bare-bones campaign in the primary, raising less than $3,000 (with nearly half of that sum a loan from herself).
Fewer than 12,00 votes were cast in District 2. Howard got 33 percent of the vote, and Whorton edged Allen with 25 percent, to his 23 percent.
She didn’t have the name recognition of Howard and Allen (who drew the disputed District 2 maps that are being used).
But low turnout may have helped some of the other candidates who upset incumbents, including Cobb legislative delegation chairwoman Teri Anulewicz, who was defeated in a Smyrna State House race.
Whorton said that based on some interactions with voters, “I think people related to me. I get up and got to work every day, and I know how to stretch my resources.”
What she said she’s hearing from voters are frustrations over stormwater issues (a proposed fee was delayed by commissioners until August after citizen opposition) and transit issues.
As for the former, Whorton said she favors “a sustainable plan where residents are not bearing all the burden.”
Whorton has lived in Detroit, Dallas and Chicago, and said she appreciates that mobility concerns are important in some parts of Cobb.
She didn’t offer an opinion on the proposed Cobb Mobility Transit Tax referendum that could be on the November ballot.
Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid favors a 30-year, one-percent sales tax that would generate an estimated $11 billion.
Whorton said she “hasn’t dug into the issue to see if it could be shorter” and admitted that a 30-year tax might be regarded as being too long.
She said she’s focusing on reaching out to voters in East Cobb, mindful that the boundaries could still be in limbo.
Current District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson was drawn out during reapportionment and decided to run for Congress (losing to U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath in the 6th District Democratic primary).
The only Republican candidate to qualify is Pam Reardon, but she resides in the District 3 that was redistricted by the legislature. Another GOP hopeful, Alicia Adams, is challenging her disqualification by the Cobb Elections Board, also based on the disputed maps.
Whorton—who like Howard resides in District 2 either way—said she hopes the matter will be resolved by November.
“It will be good for the voters” to have some clarity when they go to the polls, she said.
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U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk and local legislators are the hosts of a fundraiser next week for three Republicans running for the Cobb Board of Education.
According to a “Cobb County School Board Town Hall Newsletter” sent out Monday by GOP school board member David Chastain, the event, dubbed “Keeping Cobb Schools Strong,” will take place Monday, June 10, at the 1885 Grill (4975 North Main Street, Acworth) from 6:30-8 p.m.
The host committee includes State Sens. Kay Kirkpatrick and John Albers (who have East Cobb constituencies) and Ed Setzler, as well as State Reps. Ginny Ehrhart and Devan Seabaugh.
Chastain is not up for re-election, but the other three school board seats held by Republicans are. The GOP has held a 4-3 majority since 2019 as partisan antagonisms have grown on a number of issues.
That includes Post 5 in East Cobb, where four-term incumbent David Banks is retiring from office. The lone Republican to qualify for the Nov. 8 election is Walton cluster parent John Cristadoro.
Cristadoro will face Democrat Laura Judge, also a Walton parent. Both are first-time candidates and declared their intent to run last spring.
In the May 21 primary, in which they were both unopposed, Cristadoro received 6,369 votes to 5,262 for Judge.
Until the 2018 elections, Republicans held a firm grip on local control in Cobb County government and the school board (6-1 majority) as well as the Cobb legislative delegation.
But the school board is all the GOP controls today.
Monday’s e-mail message from Chastain (from a Google e-mail address outside of the Cobb school district and referencing his Post 4 in Northeast Cobb) alluded to what’s at stake.
Cristadoro appeared in a short video thanking supporters for campaign contributions and noting the legislators who will be in attendance, especially Loudermilk, whose 11th District includes East Cobb.
“We’re bringing out the big guns,” Cristadoro said. “Why? They truly believe, as do I, of the importance of our schools, and what the future holds for our youngsters. That needs to be protected.
“There are lots of outside influences, national groups, that are going to come in and push their political agenda. It’s already being seen.”
He didn’t specify the groups or what those issues might be (East Cobb News has left a message seeking comment), but similar charges were made in 2022 when Chastain defeated Democrat Catherine Pozniak in a bitter campaign.
Two GOP incumbents are seeking re-election. Chairman Randy Scamihorn of Post 1 in North Cobb is being opposed by Vickie Benson in a rematch from the 2020 election, and he received only 96 more votes in their unopposed primary.
Brad Wheeler of Post 7 in West Cobb had a close re-election in 2020. His foe is Democrat Andrew Cole, and in their unopposed primary, Cole 6,637 votes to 5,602 for Wheeler.
Cole is a member of the Cobb Community Care Coalition that is highly critical of the Republican majority and Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale.
Scamihorn, a former Cobb educator who is completing his third term, is pledging his commitment to “keeping our students safe” as well as “keeping inappropriate books out of schools.”
That’s a reference to several books that were removed from Cobb school libraries during the 2023-24 school year due to sexually explicit content.
Wheeler, also a former Cobb teacher, is touting the same priorities.
The only Democrat on the November ballot is Post 3 incumbent Tre’ Hutchins, who is unopposed and had no primary opposition.
In his e-mail Monday, Chastain said that “I urge you to support leaders who embody common sense and a steadfast commitment to our community’s well-being.”
For information and to RSVP contact KeepStrongSchools4Cobb@gmail.com.
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Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid easily won her Democratic Party Primary on Tuesday, defeating Shelia Edwards with more than 69 percent of the vote.
In November, Cupid will face Kay Morgan, the only Republican to qualify.
The Democratic runoff in District 2, which includes some of East Cobb, will feature former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard and Taniesha Whorton, who edged out former State Rep. Erick Allen.
In District 4, first-term incumbent Democrat Monique Sheffield earned a second term, defeating Yashica Marshall with 73 percent of the vote. No Republicans qualified for the seat that includes South Cobb.
Coming later this week, we’ll have more results and breakdowns of the primary elections, including Congress, the Georgia legislature and judicial races.
Updated 10:45 p.m.:
With 97 percent of the vote reporting, Sonya Allen has defeated Cobb District Attorney Flynn Broady in the Democratic primary.
Allen, a deputy district attorney in Fulton County, has 24,303 votes to 20,164 for Broady, a first term incumbent who prevailed in several East Cobb precincts.
No Republican qualified for the general election.
The Democratic primary for Cobb Commission District 2 is going to a June 18 runoff.
Former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard has 32 percent of the vote with all 39 precincts reporting.
Taniesha Whorton has 25 percent of the vote and former State Rep. Erick Allen has 23 percent.
More details and full results will be posted on Wednesday.
Updated 9:50 pm:
Most Cobb incumbents in contested primaries are enjoying comfortable margins in early returns.
The exception is District Attorney Flynn Broady, who is in a tight race in the Democratic primary with Sonya Allen.
The Democratic primary for Cobb Board of Commissioners District 2, which includes some of East Cobb, appears headed for a runoff.
Former Cobb Board of Education member Jaha Howard has around 32 per of the vote, with former State Rep. Erick Allen and Taniesha Whorton competing for second.
Original Report:
The polls have closed in Georgia, and the counting has begun for the 2024 primary elections.
East Cobb News will continuously update this post all evening with results, reaction and more coverage.
You can find all Cobb results, including contested primaries for Cobb Commission chair, district attorney, Sheriff, Superior Court Clerk, tax commissioner, District 2 Cobb commission and others, at this link.
Those others appearing on the ballots of East Cobb voters include the 11th U.S. Congressional District, legislative seats and a number of contested judicial races.
You also can track all results around the state compiled by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office by clicking here.
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!
Voters in East Cobb and throughout Georgia are voting today in the 2024 primary elections, choosing party candidates in a number of local, state and federal races, as well as non-partisan judicial seats.
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!
Advance voting is over in Cobb County and Georgia for the 2024 primaries, and on Tuesday will continue with election-day in-person voting at precincts.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters standing in line by the time the polls close will be allowed to vote.
To check your polling station and which races will be on your ballot, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s GA My Voter Page.
All voters must go to the polls with proof of identification (details here).
Here are the key contested races on the ballot for East Cobb voters; they do not include candidates who are running unopposed and will be on the general election ballot in November:
Cobb Commission Chairwoman (Democrat)
Lisa Cupid (incumbent), Shelia Edwards
Cobb Commission District 2 (Democrat)
Erick Allen, William Costa, Jaha Howard, Kevin Redmon, Taniesha Worton
Cobb District Attorney (Democrat)
Sonya Allen, Flynn Broady (incumbent)
Cobb Sheriff (Democrat)
Greg Gilstrap, Craig Owens (Democrat)
Cobb Sheriff (Republican)
David Cavender, Antaney Hogan, Ricci Mason
Cobb Superior Court Clerk (Democrat)
Brunessa Drayton, Carole Melton, Nick Simpson, Connie Taylor (incumbent)
Cobb Tax Commissioner (Democrat)
Jan Becker, Carla Jackson (incumbent)
U.S. House District 11 (Republican)
Barry Loudermilk (incumbent), Lori Pesta, Michael Pons
U.S. House District 11 (Democrat)
Antonio Daza, Katy Stamper
State Senate District 32 (Republican)
Ben Fremer, Kay Kirkpatrick (incumbent)
State Senate District 33 (Democrat)
Euriel Hemmerly, Michael “Doc” Rhett (incumbent)
Georgia Supreme Court (Non-Partisan)
John Barrow, Andrew Prinson (incumbent)
Georgia Court of Appeals (Non-Partisan)
Jeff Davis, Tabitha Ponder
Cobb Superior Court Judge (Non-Partisan)
Sylvia Goldman, Julie Jacobs (incumbent)
Cobb State Court Judge, Post 7 (Non-Partisan)
Carl Bowers (incumbent), Matt McMaster, Crystal Stevens McElrath
Cobb Probate Court Judge (Non-Partisan)
Rebecca Keaton, Kellie Wolk (incumbent)
The two major parties also will have a number of party questions on their ballots that are non-binding: Democrat and Republican.
Please Note: Voters who ask for a non-partisan ballot will not be able to vote for either Democratic or Republican candidates. The non-partisan ballot contains only state and local judicial candidates.
Primaries that are not decided on Tuesday will go to a runoff to be concluded on June 18.
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As early voting in the Georgia primaries continues, the Georgia Supreme Court gave some clarity about how Cobb Board of Commissioners electoral maps will look—for the time being.
In a unanimous ruling issued Thursday, the high court dismissed a lawsuit by a Cobb married couple challenging the county’s assertion of home rule powers in drawing commission maps.
But the court, which struck down concerns by David and Catherine Floam over the uncertainty of which commission district they live in, didn’t address their underlying claim—that the three Democrats on the Cobb commission violated the Georgia Constitution.
That’s an issue that apparently will have be addressed in a future legal action.
With the primary election set for May 21 and the general election in November, it appears that the county “home rule” maps will be used this year.
That includes keeping a portion of East Cobb (see map below) in District 2, which is one of three commission seats on the ballot in 2024.
“No declaratory relief lies here,” the court concluded in its ruling (which you can read here).
The Floams live in an area of North Cobb that had been in District 3 (represented by Northeast Cobb Republican JoAnn Birrell). Maps approved in 2022 by the Georgia legislature would have kept them there, and included most of East Cobb in District 3 (yellow on the map below).
But the three Democratic commissioners, in trying to keep first-term Democrat Jerica Richardson in her East Cobb home in District 2, decided on a novel challenge in October 2022 to use maps drawn up by then-State Rep. Erick Allen, at the time the head of the Cobb legislative delegation.
Cobb commission District 2 (in pink) for the time being includes parts of East Cobb.
Those maps put the Floams in District 1, represented by Republican commissioner Keli Gambrill.
Gambrill was a plaintiff in the original lawsuit filed in early 2023, claiming that the state Constitution authorizes only the legislature to conduct political reapportionment at the county level.
In January, Cobb Superior Court Judge Ann Harris—who dismissed Gambrill as a plaintiff, saying she lacked standing—ruled with the Floams, but the county appealed. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in April, and ultimately decided they also didn’t have standing.
“The Floams may be uncertain as to whether they lawfully reside in District 1 or District 3, but this uncertainty, without more, is insufficient to support a declaration,” the Supreme Court ruled.
“The Floams must allege that they are at risk of taking some undirected future action incident to their rights and that such action might jeopardize their interests. They have failed to do so.
“By asking for a declaration that the BOC Amendment [the home rule vote] was illegal, the Floams are merely attempting to enforce rights that had already accrued and attempting to direct the future actions of the County, which is insufficient to state a claim for declaratory relief.”
Near the end of its ruling, the court did acknowledge that there are “very serious Constitutional issues with the BOC Amendment.”
Justice Charles Bethel, in a concurring opinion, noted his concern “about the possible effect of further delay” in determining the merits of Cobb’s decision.
“A delayed loss by Cobb could give rise to calamitous consequences inflicting serious expense and practical hardship on its citizens,” Bethel wrote. “Accordingly, I urge Cobb to act with all dispatch in obtaining a final answer on the legal merits of its chosen path.”
Bethel further speculated that “depending on the timeline of any future litigation, it would not be inconceivable for Cobb to find itself with three vacant Commission seats and the Commission unable to form a quorum, leaving its citizens without duly elected representation.”
He concluded his opinion by urging Cobb officials “to act with all due haste in securing finality.”
In a response issued by Cobb County Government, Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said only that “I am pleased that the County has prevailed in our appeal.”
Richardson, who claimed the legislative maps were an “unprecedented” action in unseating an incumbent in mid-term, declared her run for the 6th Congressional District before the Supreme Court hearing.
She has not commented publicly on Thursday’s ruling.
But a hopeful seeking to succeed her, East Cobb Democrat Kevin Redmon, said Thursday that “we are relieved that the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the lawsuit challenging the District 2 map based on standing.”
He’s a former member of Richardson’s “community cabinet” who is in a five-way primary. Among the other hopefuls is former Cobb Board of Education member Jaha Howard and Allen, who drew up the “home rule” maps that for the time being are official.
The only Republican seeking the District 2 seat is Pamela Reardon of East Cobb.
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Pamela Reardon doesn’t have another Republican to run against in her campaign for the District 2 seat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners.
Not after the Cobb Board of Elections disqualified another GOP hopeful for living outside the map boundaries that are being used for the May 21 primary.
Reardon, a retired real estate agent who’s active in local Republican politics, knows her name also could be scratched from the general election ballot if a long-running legal dispute over commission electoral maps is decided before November.
But she’s campaigning anyway, as two courts are mulling over where commission districts might be formed that affect the East Cobb area in particular.
“Until something changes, this is how it is,” Reardon told East Cobb News on Monday, as advance primary voting got underway. “I’m not going to take a chance and not be on the ballot.”
She lives in the East Cobb portion of the current District 2 boundaries that are being observed by Cobb Elections for the primary. The district also includes the Smyrna-Vinings-Cumberland area.
They’re roughly the same boundaries that make up the area Democrat Jerica Richardson has represented since 2021.
But the Georgia legislature drew Richardson out of her seat during reapportionment in 2022, prompting an unprecedented maneuver by the commission’s three Democrats to claim home rule authority in redistricting.
Their vote in October 2022 challenges a long-held Georgia Constitutional provision that only the legislature can conduct redistricting. A Cobb Superior Court judge recently ruled the Cobb action unconstitutional, but the county has appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, and hearings were conducted earlier this month.
Another Cobb judge recently heard the appeal of Alicia Adams, a Republican who lives in what the legislature drew to be District 3, comprising most of East Cobb and part of the Kennesaw area, and who was disqualified from the primary.
In 2022, East Cobb voters found the District 3 race on their ballots, and Republican incumbent JoAnn Birrell was re-elected to a fourth term.
At left, maps recognized by Cobb Democratic commissioners, with District 2 in pink and District 3 in yellow. At right, maps approved in 2022 by the Republican-majority Georgia legislature.
While plenty of confusion abounds, Reardon thinks there’s more to come. She doesn’t believe either legal case will be decided before the primary, if at all.
“Are they really going to stop the primary? Do you really think that’s going to happen? No,” she said.
Five Democrats qualified for the District 2 seat after Richardson announced her candidacy for the 6th Congressional District.
Among them are two East Cobb residents, Will Costa and Kevin Redmon, the latter a former member of Richardson’s “community cabinet.” Another Democratic candidate is Taniesha Whorton, who lives in the Powers Ferry Road area that’s also in the county-recognized District 2.
They also could be affected by a court ruling along residency lines. Two other Democrats were disqualified by the Cobb Democratic Party for similar reasons: former Marietta City Council member Reggie Copeland and Marietta resident Donald Barth.
East Cobb News has left messages with Costa, Redmon and Whorton seeking comment.
Redmon’s campaign said in an e-mail response that “the courts have taken the posture of taking their time to get this right and we will respect their decision. As it stands today, the Home Rule map is what Cobb is operating under and what the Cobb Board of Elections is using for this election.
Kevin Redmon
“We’re out in the community at public and private events, knocking doors, meeting for coffee doing what it takes to show up for District 2,” the statement said. “[Redmon] will stand up for District 2 when elected. We encourage folks to vote on or before May 21.”
The other Democrats are in the Smyrna area that would be in District 2 either way: former Cobb Board of Education member Jaha Howard, and former State Rep. Erick Allen, who as Cobb legislative delegation chairman drew the maps the county is following.
Reardon finds it ironic that Cobb Democrats are fighting to redraw District 2 lines that include East Cobb. Richardson barely edged GOP nominee Fitz Johnson in 2020 with similar boundaries.
Reardon said she thinks District 2 as is and which previously was held for three terms by Republican Bob Ott, is “red.”
In the meantime, Reardon said she continues to canvass, not just in her own race but with other Republicans. She’s against the 30-year proposed Cobb transit tax that’s on the November ballot, wants the property tax millage rate to be rolled back, opposes a proposed stormwater impact fee and thinks the county needs to rein in spending.
“I’m not going to be devastated if they change the maps,” Reardon said, referring to what she calls “Home Rule 2,” adding that she’s considering a run in District 3 in 2026 (Redmon has filed a similar declaration of intent).
“I want to help give our citizens and the ordinary people of Cobb County a voice.”
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Advance voting is underway in Cobb County in the 2024 Georgia primaries, and will continue for another three weeks.
The locations include two in East Cobb, at the East Cobb Government Services Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and the Tim D. Lee Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road).
Their hours are as follows:
April 29-May 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May 6-10 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 11 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May 13-17 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The East Cobb Government Service Center will have a dropbox available on those dates, during those voting hours. Early voters also may go there for the two Sundays of advance voting, May 5 and May 12, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
There several locations in the county where voters can cast their ballots ahead of the formal election day, May 21, and you can go to any location you choose.
You can get the latest updates on estimated wait-times at those polling locations by clicking here.
They include Democratic races for Cobb Commission Chair, Cobb District Attorney, Cobb Sheriff, Cobb Superior Court Clerk and Cobb Tax Commissioner.
Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk also has primary opposition, as do some local legislative office-holders.
The Cobb Comission District 2 race has several Democratic hopefuls and a Republican seeking to replace incumbent Jerica Richardson, who’s running for Congress.
But the Georgia Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on contested redistricting lines for that seat. It recently heard an appeal by Cobb County, whose Democratic commissioners approved “home rule” maps that include some of East Cobb in District 2.
A Cobb Superior Court judge ruled that the county must abide by maps approved by the legislature in 2021 that put East Cobb almost entirely within District 3, drawing Richardson out of her seat.
A Republican candidate for District 2 is appealing a decision by the Cobb Board of Elections to disqualify her, based on the county-approved maps.
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The two hopefuls for the open Post 5 seat on the Cobb Board of Education don’t have opponents in the upcoming primaries, but they’re picking up endorsements.
Last week the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Action Fund endorsed Democrat Laura Judge as part of a slate of endorsements in metro Atlanta school board and county commission races.
And on Tuesday, Republican John Cristadoro announced he had received the endorsement of Educators First, a teachers’ organization.
Post 5, which includes the Walton and Pope and some of the Wheeler attendance zones, is being vacated by four-term Republican David Banks.
According to its website, the SPLC Action Fund “is focused on lifting up communities of color, particularly in the Deep South, who face systemic oppression, poverty and structural racism. To overcome these injustices, the organization is committed to reimagining the political, economic and social systems that sustain them to create a world where all people can thrive. ”
Judge, a Walton-area parent, noted in a social media posting that she got the endorsement “on a day that I spoke out at the school board meeting for a student in my Post who had to deal with racial discrimination in one of our schools.
“I will continue to advocate for the safety of our students, stand up against hate within our district, and empower our community to use their voice.”
Judge also has received endorsements from Cobb school board member Becky Sayler of Post 2 in Smyrna, Democratic State Rep. Lisa Campbell of Cobb, the Georgia Working Families Party, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and the 3.14 Action Fund, which supports Democratic female candidates with science backgrounds.
Educators First represents professional teachers as an alternative to older organizations such as the Georgia Association of Educators.
Educators First says it offers “all the advantages of a traditional union, but without the high costs and partisan politics.”
Based in Kennesaw, Educators First was founded in 2011 and its CEO and co-founder is John Adams, a former Cobb County School District deputy superintendent.
“I am honored to have received the Educators First endorsement,” Cristadoro said in a statement Tuesday. “Educators First’s endorsement in my campaign clearly demonstrates the wide appeal and local grassroots support of our campaign.”
According to his latest campaign disclosure report in February, Cristadoro has raised more than $33,000 and has more than $28,000 in cash on hand.
Judge also filed a financial disclosure report in February listing more than $18,000 in contributions and more than $2,000 in cash on hand.
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Contested primaries (our previous qualifying story) include Cobb Commission Chair (Democrat) and U.S. House District 11 (Republican).
In Cobb County, voters can cast their ballots early in-person at nine locations, or via a dropbox at six venues during regular business hours.
Those locations include the East Cobb Government Services Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and the Tim D. Lee Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road).
Both of those East Cobb locations will have extensive advance voting hours:
April 29-May 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 4 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May 6-10 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 11 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May 13-17 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The East Cobb Government Service Center will have a dropbox available on those dates, during those voting hours. Early voters also may go there for the two Sundays of advance voting, May 5 and May 12, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Advance voters can vote at any advance voting location in the county. More information can be found by clicking here.
No voting will take place from May 18-20, and on primary day, Tuesday, May 21, voters will go their assigned precincts between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
To check your polling station and which races will be on your ballot, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s GA My Voter Page.
All voters must go to the polls with proof of identification (details here).
Cobb Elections also is seeking poll workers to staff 148 precincts on primary day. Visit https://bit.ly/CobbPollWorker to learn more and apply today.
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Four Democrats seeking public office in the U.S. Congress and Georgia legislature in the north metro Atlanta area will appear at a political “festival-style concert” in Woodstock on Sunday.
Michael Garza
They’re clients of a new Democratic-aligned campaign consulting firm, FTR Strategies of Roswell, and three are seeking offices that include the East Cobb area.
What’s being called “Votestock” takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Woodstock Arts Event Green (111 Elm St., Woodstock), ahead of the May 21 Georgia primaries.
The event includes family-friendly activities; live music from local rock band Rodeo Drive; locally sourced food; and booths offering information about local businesses, campaigns, and other involvement opportunities.
The candidates include Antonio Daza, a candidate for District 11 in the U.S. House; Micheal Garza, who is running for State House District 46; J.D. Jordan, who’s on the ballot for State Senate District 46; and Tracy Verhoeven, a candidate for State Senate District 21.
Daza, who lives in Atlanta, is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk of the 11th District for the second time.
That district was redrawn in January by the legislature to include most of East Cobb, portions of Atlanta and Cherokee County and Bartow County.
Garza, who’s a frequent critic of the Cobb County School District, also is challenging GOP incumbent John Carson of Northeast Cobb and south Cherokee for the second time in three years.
Jordan, of Roswell, is running against Republican Sen. John Albers of District 56, which includes some of East Cobb.
Senate District 21, where Verhoeven is running, is represented by GOP Sen. Brandon Beach and includes parts of Cherokee and north Fulton.
“Woodstock is rapidly growing, vibrant, and a great area to hold a festive event,” Mo Pippin, co-owner of FTR Strategies, said in a release.
“Our hope is to highlight this area as a whole, spread awareness about the election next month, and make Democratic voters feel more united in an area that has traditionally supported conservative candidates.”
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A Republican candidate who qualified to run for the District 2 seat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners has been disqualified.
The Cobb Board of Elections voted 4-1 on Friday, along partisan lines, to have Alicia Adams removed from the May 21 ballot.
During a special-called meeting of the board, East Cobb resident Mindy Seger, an ally of outgoing District 2 Democratic commissioner Jerica Richardson, said in her formal challenge that Adams didn’t live in District 2.
The Cobb Elections Board is honoring “home rule” maps approved by commission Democrats instead of maps approved by the Georgia legislature as a legal dispute over those lines continues.
The former maps include some of East Cobb in District 2, while the latter placed most of East Cobb in District 3, represented by Republican commissioner JoAnn Birrell.
Cobb Superior Court Judge Ann Harris ruled last month that the home rule maps violate the Georgia Constitution, but the county is appealing, and the Georgia Court of Appeals scheduled to hear oral arguments April 17.
In the meantime, the Elections Board announced it would be following the home rule maps.
In her challenge, Seger said that under those maps, Adams—a member of the Cobb Republican Women’s Club—actually lives in District 3, at a residence with a Kennesaw address.
“There is no factual dispute,” Seger said. “She’s either in the district or she isn’t.”
Chuck Boring, an attorney for Adams, said she qualified according to a map that was deemed by Harris and an opinion of the Georgia Attorney General’s office to be the “lawful Constitutional map.
“The Board of Commissioners has substituted their opinion . . . . and because of that I don’t think it’s appropriate.”
Cobb GOP chair Salleigh Grubbs called the issue “a hot mess express” and said she’s been asking for clarification on which maps were to be used, adding that the election board’s decision to use the home rule maps came “at the 11th hour.”
After an executive session, the elections board cast its vote, with the four Democratic appointees voting in favor of disqualifying Adams.
Debbie Fisher of East Cobb, the only Republican appointee, voted against the motion to disqualify.
The decision leaves Pam Reardon of East Cobb, also a Republican activist, as the only GOP candidate to qualify.
Five Democrats qualified. They include Kevin Redmon of East Cobb, a former Richardson community advisor; former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard; and former State Rep. Erick Allen, who as Cobb legislative delegation chairman drew the home rule maps.
During qualifying, former Marietta City Council member Reggie Copeland and Don Barth, a resident of East Marietta, attempted to qualify as Democrats in District 2 but were told they did not live within the home rule map boundaries and were turned away.
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The polls have closed and the votes are being counted in Tuesday’s Georgia presidential primaries.
All of the major challengers to Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump have suspended or ended their campaigns, but some of those candidates’ names were on the ballot.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s office is compiling the results, and you can find the statewide results by clicking here; if you’re looking for Cobb County results, you can click here.
Later in the week, we’ll break down how East Cobb precincts voted.
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There’s not much suspense attached to Tuesday’s Georgia presidential primaries, but the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for those casting election-day votes.
All of the major challengers to Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump have suspended or ended their campaigns, but some of those candidates’ names will still be on the ballot.
Cobb Elections said that advance voting for the primary has been very light, with fewer than 30,000 votes cast.
But the results figure to be heavily watched as a harbinger for the general election to come in November, especially since Georgia is among the key swing states in the nation, and given the results from 2020.
Biden won by less than 12,000 votes after multiple recounts, but Trump and his supporters have claimed those results were rigged.
That ultimately led to indictments of Trump and 18 others by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on charges of racketeering, conspiracy and other charges.
How Tuesday’s voting plays out will be especially watched in metro Atlanta, and in suburbs like Cobb which once were Republican strongholds but have been trending Democratic in recent election cycles.
The Cobb Board of Elections announced several precinct changes that will be in effect for the presidential primaries, and three of them are in East Cobb:
Addison: From Legacy Church (1040 Blackwell Road), to Kulture Event Center (2933 Canton Road, Suite 290)
East Piedmont 01: From Elizabeth Baptist Church (315 Kurtz Road), to Shady Grove Baptist Church (1654 Bells Ferry Road)
Roswell 01: East Cobb Church of Christ (5240 Roswell Road), to Catholic Church of St. Ann (4905 Roswell Road)
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Qualifying for the 2024 primaries in Georgia ended Friday, and several incumbents in Cobb will be facing challengers in those May elections.
They include members of the U.S. House and Georgia legislature and countywide officials.
In East Cobb, there will be contested primaries for the Republican nomination for the 11th Congressional District as well as two state Senate seats.
In the 11th, GOP incumbent Barry Loudermilk is being opposed by Michael Pons of Woodstock and Lori Pesta, head of the Republican Women of Cherokee County.
The Democrats to qualify are Antonio Daza of Atlanta, whom Loudermilk easily defeated in the 2022 general election, and Woodstock attorney Katy Stamper.
Loudermilk, of Bartow County, has been in office since 2015. The 11th was redrawn by the Georgia legislature earlier this year under a court order, and includes most of East Cobb.
Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson on Friday qualified for the 6th Congressional District, which includes some of South Cobb, in a field of Democrats that 7th District incumbent Lucy McBath.
Although she lives in East Cobb, Richardson opted to run for Congress after sbe was redrawn out of her commission seat, and as a legal dispute over that action continues.
Ga. State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick
State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick of East Cobb has Republican opposition in District 32. Her challenger is Ben Fremer, a first-time candidate from Cherokee County.
In District 33, which includes some of the East Cobb area, longtime Democratic Sen. “Doc” Rhett will face Euriel Hemmerly of south Cobb, a member of the Cobb school board’s facilities and technology oversight committee, in the Democratic primary.
Rhett defeated her in the Democratic primary two years ago with 68 percent of the vote.
Five Cobb countywide office holders, all Democrats, also have primary opponents.
They include Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, a Democrat who is seeking a second term in that office.
On Friday, Shelia Edwards of South Cobb, who unsuccessfully tried to succeed Cupid as District 4 commissioner in 2022, qualified in the Democratic primary.
The sole Republican qualifier for chairwoman is realtor Kay Morgan of West Cobb.
Edwards, who lost to current District 4 incumbent Monique Sheffield in a Democratic runoff, is the publisher of a news site covering the South Cobb area, and has been highly critical of Cupid in that publication.
Sheffield is facing a challenge from Yashica Marshall, a former candidate for Mableton City Council.
Democratic District Attorney Flynn Broady is being challenged by Sonya Allen, an assistant prosecutor in Fulton County who lives in Cobb.
Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid
Greg Gilstrap, who has run unsuccessfully for Cobb Sheriff five previous times, qualified for the Democratic primary along with incumbent Craig Owens.
The Republican qualifiers are David Cavender, a Cobb police officer; Ricci Mason, a candidate for Cobb Commission Chair in 2020; and Antaney Hogan.
Cobb Tax Commissioner Carla Jackson, elected twice previously as a Republican, switched to the Democratic Party, and is facing opposition from Jan Becker, a former director in the tax commissioner’s office who retired in 2021.
Democratic incumbent Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor, who has come under fire for fire for personally pocketing passport fees far exceeding her salary, has drawn three primary opponents: Brunessa Drayton, a former aide to Cupid; Nick Simpson, a candidate for the clerk’s office in 2020; and Carole Melton, an assistant to Cobb Superior Court judges.
Deborah Dance, a former Cobb County Attorney currently serving as a member of the Cobb Planning Commission, qualified for Cobb Superior Court Clerk as a Republican.
No Republicans qualified for District Attorney or Tax Commissioner.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners qualifying was marked by controversy when two Democrats who attempted to qualify in District 2 were ruled ineligible due to residency issues.
Former Marietta City Council member Reggie Copeland and Don Barth, a resident of East Marietta, were told they did not live within the District 2 boundaries that are being observed by the Cobb Board of Elections.
Pam Reardon, GOP Candidate for Cobb Commission District 2
The “home rule” maps approved by Commission Democrats are being challenged in court, with some of District 2 in the East Cobb area.
Five Democrats qualified. They include Kevin Redmon of East Cobb, a former Richardson community advisor; former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard; and former State Rep. Erick Allen, who as Cobb legislative delegation chairman drew the home rule maps.
A Cobb judge ruled the use of the home rule maps violates the Georgia Constitution since they were not approved by the legislature. But the county is appealing that to the Georgia Supreme Court, which will hold oral arguments on April 17.
Two Republicans have qualified in District 2: Pam Reardon, an East Cobb realtor and GOP activist, and Alicia Adams of the Cobb Republican Women’s Club.
There will be no contested primaries in four Cobb Board of Education races on the ballot this year, but three of them will be highly watched in the general election in November.
Those three offices are held by Republicans, who hold a 4-3 majority.
In Post 5 in East Cobb, the qualifiers are Democrat Laura Judge and Republican John Cristadoro, both Walton zone parents. The winner of that general election campaign will succeed retiring four-term GOP member David Banks.
In Post 7 in West Cobb, Republican Brad Wheeler has qualified to seek a third term, as has Democrat Andrew Cole, who has been a critic of GOP leadership on the school board.
Deborah Dance, candidate for Cobb Superior Court Clerk
In Post 1 in North Cobb, Republican chairman Randy Scamihorn also is seeking a third term, and his Democratic opponent once again is Vickie Benson, whom he defeated in 2020. She has been a teacher and is a technology entrepreneur.
Democratic incumbent Tre’ Hutchins of South Cobb was the only candidate to qualify in Post 3 and is seeking a second term.
In State House races, all incumbents with East Cobb districts qualified, but none will have primary opponents.
Democratic Rep. Mary Frances Williams (District 36), and GOP House members Don Parsons (44), Sharon Cooper (45) and John Carson (46) will have November general-election opponents.
Democratic Rep. Solomon Adesayna of District 43 was the only candidate of any party to qualify for that race.
In District 56, which includes some of East Cobb, Republican Sen. John Albers will face Democrat J.D. Jordan, a designer from Roswell, in the general election.
A separate post will detail the candidates who have qualified for non-partisan judicial races in Cobb County.
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Two candidates who announced their campaigns for the Cobb Board of Education from East Cobb nearly a year ago qualified for the 2024 primary elections on Monday.
Republican John Cristadoro and Democrat Laura Judge filed qualifying paperwork and fees at their local party offices on Monday.
They’re both parents in the Walton attendance zones, and are seeking the Post 5 seat on the school board being vacated by David Banks, a four-term Republican who is not seeking re-election.
The primary election is on May 21.
Post 5, which includes the Walton, Pope and some of the Wheeler attendance zones, is one of four school board posts on the ballot this year.
Three of those seats are held by Republicans, who have a 4-3 majority on a Cobb school board that has been strongly divided along partisan lines in recent years.
In a statement released by his campaign, Cristadoro said that “I am honored to have the opportunity to represent Walton, Wheeler, and Pope High Schools. I believe that maintaining common sense leadership for Cobb schools is paramount to the continued success of all Cobb students.”
After qualifying, Judge announced that she will be holding a fundraiser Thursday hosted by Dr. Dahlia Levine of Dentistry at East Piedmont.
Here are the respective campaign websites for Cristadoro and Judge; and you can find our at-length interviews with both candidates from last spring here and here.
They are the only announced candidates to have qualified thus far. Qualifying continues through noon Friday for Congressional, legislative and local offices across Georgia.
In Cobb, there are three seats on the Board of Commissioners on the ballot—all three currently held by Democrats.
That includes District 2, where first-term Democrat Jerica Richardson has announced her candidacy for the 6th Congressional District.
The Cobb Board of Elections announced Friday it would be honoring “home rule” maps that include some of East Cobb in District 2 while a legal dispute is played out before the Georgia Supreme Court.
The legislature included most of East Cobb in District 3, represented by GOP member JoAnn Birrell. But the county is appealing a ruling by a Cobb judge that said the “home rule” maps preferred by Democrats violates the Georgia Constitution.
Oral arguments before the court are scheduled for April 17, but on Monday Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger blasted the Cobb Elections map decision.
“The Cobb County Commission’s irresponsible decision to proceed with commission-drawn maps jeopardizes candidate qualifying and puts Cobb County voters at risk for disenfranchisement,” Raffensperger said in a release. “The court has already ruled that the commission must use the maps enacted by the General Assembly. Their unilateral decision will add confusion, likely errors, and unnecessary burdens on election officials at the 11th hour. This decision does not serve the people of Georgia.”
On Monday, two previously announced Democratic candidates for District 2 qualified. They are former State Rep. Erick Allen, who drew up the home rule maps that the county is using, and former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard.
William Costa of the Kennesaw area also qualified as a Democrat for District 2.
The other seats up this year include District 4 in South Cobb and the countywide-elected chair.
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When qualifying for May primary elections takes place next week, the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration will honor county-approved county commission redistricting maps at the heart of a continuing legal dispute.
District 2 lines (in pink) that Cobb commission Democrats approved will be used for primary qualifying next week.
The five-member appointed elections board announced Friday that the maps to be used for qualifying for commission races will be those that were approved by the three Democrats on the Cobb Board of Commissioners in October 2022.
They did that in claiming a “home rule” exemption that a Cobb judge last month ruled was unconstitutional, and that the county is appealing.
The Georgia Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case on April 17, but primary ballots have to be printed well before that.
In its announcement Friday, the Cobb elections board said that while candidates in partisan races qualify via their respective local political party offices, “parties and citizens have requested guidance from the Board as to which maps are to be used for qualifying at this time when multiple redistricting lawsuits are still pending in various stages of appeal.”
The board said the “home rule map” for commission districts “remains in place because the [Cobb Superior] Court’s ruling was stayed . . . ”
The board concluded after conferring with its legal counsel that, “out of an abundance of caution, the Home Rule Map should be used and that it ‘remains ready to implement any further direction from the courts on this matter.’ ”
That decision will affect potential candidates in East Cobb.
Three seats on the county commission—the countywide-elected chair, District 4 in South Cobb and District 2 in Smyrna and parts of East Cobb—are on the 2024 ballot.
Current commissioner Jerica Richardson, a first-term Democrat, was drawn out of her East Cobb home in District 2 in maps approved in 2022 by the Republican-led Georgia legislature, which placed most of East Cobb in District 3, represented by GOP member JoAnn Birrell.
Richardson has since announced her candidacy for the 6th Congressional District, which includes some of south Cobb.
Five Democrats, including former Cobb legislative delegation chairman State Rep. Erick Allen and former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard, have declared their intent to run in District 2 as Democrats.
Also among the Democratic hopefuls is Kevin Redmon, a former Richardson community advisor who lives in District 3 according to the legislative-approved maps. He has declared his intent to run in districts 2 and 3.
No Republicans have announced for District 2 thus far.
New Cobb school board maps shifted the lines for Post 5 (in purple) to include Pope and Walton attendance zones and exclude some of the Wheeler zone.
The Cobb elections board statement Friday said that for Cobb Board of Education qualifying, it will honor recently redrawn maps by the legislature that were ordered by a federal court, and since there is no pending challenge to it.
Those maps redrew part of East Cobb. Post 5, which is on the ballot this year, was redrawn to include most of the Walton and Pope attendance zones, while much of the Wheeler zone was placed in Post 6. Post 4, which includes most of the Kell, Lassiter and Sprayberry zones, was not affected.
Thus far, Democrat Laura Judge and Republican John Cristadoro, both parents in the Walton zone, have announced for Post 5, where four-term Republican incumbent David Banks is not seeking re-election.
Four of the seven school board posts are up for election this year, including two of the other three posts held by Republicans. The GOP has held a 4-3 majority since 2019, while Democrats control close majorities on the commission and the county legislative delegation.
The Cobb elections board also said Friday it will honor Congressional and legislative maps passed in January and that were ordered by a federal court.
The board appointments are 4-1 Democrats, with Debbie Fisher of East Cobb the appointee of the Cobb Republican Party.
Primary qualifying takes place Monday, March 4-Thursday, March 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday, March 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Partisan candidates will qualify at their local party office, and non-partisan candidates will qualify at the Cobb Elections office (955 Roswell St., Marietta).
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