Cobb Commission GOP nominee to be decided in Tuesday runoff

Cobb Commission District 2 race — *Republican voters will choose between Fitz Johnson, left, and Andy Johnson for the District 2 nomination to the Cobb Board of Commissioners.*

Tuesday is the last day to cast a ballot in primary runoff campaigns that include the Republican nominee for District 2 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

All voting will take place Tuesday at regular voting precincts, but voters who have obtained absentee ballots can deliver them to designated dropoff spots (including the East Cobb Government Center, 4400 Lower Roswell Road), by 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

You can check your voting status and view sample ballots by clicking here. The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration is observing social distancing guidelines at the polls and is asking voters to wear masks.

After advance voting ended on Friday, Cobb Elections said 5,835 people voted early in-person, 3,801 in the Democratic primary and only 794 in the Republican primary.

A total of 18,855 absentee ballots were returned, with 9,548 Democratic ballots and 3,356 Republican ballots.

Former Cobb Planning Commission member Andy Smith of East Cobb and business man and civic leader Fitz Johnson of Vinings are vying for the GOP nomination in District 2, with the winner facing Democrat Jerica Richardson in November.

Also on the countywide ballot Tuesday are two non-partisan judicial runoffs.

One is for Cobb Superior Court Judge between Jason Marbutt of East Cobb, a Cobb senior assistant district attorney, and attorney Greg Shenton.

The other is for Cobb State Court Judge between Trina Griffiths and Diana Simmons.

Voters in South Cobb also will be deciding a new county commissioner. Current District 4 commissioner Lisa Cupid is the Democratic nominee for Cobb Commission Chairman, and she’s endorsed Monique Sheffield, her appointee to the Cobb Board of Zoning Appeals, in a runoff against Shelia Edwards.

In the District 2 race, incumbent commissioner Bob Ott, who is retiring after three terms, has not made an endorsement.

Smith was his appointment to the Cobb Planning Commission and they attended high school together in New Jersey. In recent campaign disclosure reports, Johnson has outraised and outspent Smith, and enjoys the support of donors among the county’s business and health care leadership.

Johnson is a trustee of the Wellstar Health System. Smith, the owner of a construction design company, has been active in civic and community projects through his membership at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church.

Their campaigns have focused on development, traffic and public safety. Johnson said during the primary campaign that he was adamantly opposed to a proposed City of East Cobb; Smith said he wanted to keep an open mind about the issue.

Cityhood leaders said last fall they would not be pursuing a bill sponsored by Rep. Matt Dollar of East Cobb in the Georgia legislature last year. It would have to be reintroduced in a future session to be reconsidered.