Republican John Cristadoro, who is seeking the Post 5 seat on the Cobb Board of Education, has filed a financial disclosure report showing nearly $30,000 in contributions.
That’s nearly a year before the 2024 primaries in what’s expected to be an expensive race.
According to a report filed with the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration, Cristadoro received $18,337 in contributions from a variety of individuals and entities through June 30.
He also loaned himself $10,000 for a total of $28,337 in contributions, according to the report (you can read it here).
He is one of two announced candidates for the Post 5 seat, which is held by Republican David Banks, and which includes the Walton, Wheeler and Pope High School clusters.
The other is Democrat Laura Judge, who filed a report showing $9,255 in contributions, also through June 30 (you can read it here).
Candidates are required to file financial disclosure reports at the end of June and at the end of December for each year in an election cycle.
Primaries will be held in Georgia for federal, state and local candidates on May 21, 2024; the Georgia presidential primary is March 12, 2024.
According to Cristadoro’s report, he has several contributors who’s given at least $1,000 or more.
They include former Cobb Chamber of Commerce chairman John Loud, who’s heading Cristadoro’s steering committee.
Other $1,000+ contributors include Pamela Reardon, an East Cobb real estate agent who’s active with the Cobb Republican Party, and East Cobb resident Caryn Sonderman.
She’s an East Cobb parent who frequently speaks at Cobb school board public comment sessions and who according to the disclosure report was the host of a Cristadoro fundraiser.
Attorney Mary Anne Ackourey contributed $1,546 to the Cristadoro campaign. She’s with Freeman Mathis & Gary, a law firm with offices in the Cumberland area that’s representing the Cobb County School District in a current federal lawsuit over school board redistricting.
Judge is a member of Watching the Funds—Cobb, a citizens group that scrutinizes Cobb school district finances. Fellow WTF-Cobb members Heather Tolley-Bauer and Stacy Efrat have contributed $500 and $250, respectively.
Several state lawmakers have contributed to the Judge campaign: Democratic State Sen. Jason Esteves, whose 6th District includes part of East Cobb, contributed $250.
Democratic Rep. Lisa Campbell of North Cobb contributed $500 and Democratic Sen. Josh McLaurin of North Fulton contributed $100.
Banks, a four-term Republican, has not filed a recent disclosure reports. He told East Cobb News this spring that he has not decided if he’ll seeking re-election.
In an interview with East Cobb News in April, Cristadoro estimated he would need to raise around $85,000 for his campaign.
The Post 5 race is one of four campaigns on the Cobb school board in 2024, and party control of the board is at stake. Republicans have a 4-3 majority, but three current GOP seats will be on the ballot.
The others are held by Brad Wheeler and Randy Scamihorn, neither of whom has filed a recent disclosure report.
First-term Democrat Tre’ Hutchins of South Cobb has filed a disclosure report for the first half of 2023.
You can read through other campaign reports by clicking here.
Related:
- East Cobb residents appointed to Cobb Board of Elections
- Cupid kicks off re-election campaign for Cobb Commission Chairwoman
- U.S. Rep. McCormick endorses DeSantis in GOP presidential race
- Cobb school board hires law firm in redistricting lawsuit
- Cobb school board candidate: ‘You have to be passionate to do this’
- East Cobb advocate declares intent to run for school board
- Banks undecided about seeking re-election to Cobb school board
- Post 5 school board candidate reveals steering committee
- East Cobb News Politics & Elections page
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I wonder if I am the only reader who is perplexed by the overwhelming priority and attention given to Republican candidate Cristadoro over Democrat candidate Laura Judge by The East Cobb News. Since the day he announced he was “considering” running for school board, this publication has been all over Cristadoro like a rug on hardwood, over and over, ad nauseum, while his opponent has barely received any coverage at all. And when she does, it is totally lopsided. Consider this article. The headline blares: “Cobb School Board Candidate Reports Nearly $30K in Fundraising” and the first five graphs of the article discuss this topic in minute detail. The author eventually gets around to Ms. Judge referencing her as “the other candidate” and briefly discusses her fundraising.
So, what are we seeing here? When I went to Journalism School, we were taught that reporting was to be unbiased,
allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions from a well-balanced writing of the facts. In my opinion, ECN appears to be all-in for Mr. Cristadoro and his heavy-weight Republican backers, which makes this school board race no different than most of the pitiful politics that goes on in Cobb.
It easily could have been different. How about: “Declared Candidates for Cobb School Board Post 5 File Early Financial Disclosure Reports”
We have written two stories each about Cristadoro and Judge when they announced their campaigns, and then did long interviews with both candidates that we published shortly after that. Factually reporting who’s backing a candidate and how much money they raise is being not “all-in” for anyone.