Cobb Elections Board disqualifies GOP commission candidate

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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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3 thoughts on “Cobb Elections Board disqualifies GOP commission candidate”

  1. Disappointing that you left my name off the list of Candidates seeking the Democrat Party Nomination for Cobb District 2. Just because I am not a party insider should be no reason to leave my name out of this story. Regards, William Costa

  2. Another nail in the credibility of this county commission. This “home rule” charade is past it’s sell by date and needs to end now. Voters won’t forget this wasteful stupidity.

  3. Not at all surprised. Another wrong decision handed down by incompetent ideologues (except for categorically excluded Debbie Fisher since she understands and respects the Constitution). Alicia Adams will win in Court, and everyone knows it so expect to see her on the primary ballot. Nice ploy by the Democrats to drain the funds of GOP candidates and waste their in the court room. If things worked as they should 80% of the BOE would be fired and replaced. Since that won’t happen, it’s time to consider greater legislative oversight of County BOEs.

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