Dungeons and Democrats event set for East Cobb candidates

At this event, four local candidates running in competitive Republican-held districts will take the stage for a lively dinner theater-style performance playing a custom tabletop roleplaying game.

The event began as a way for JD Jordan (Senate District 56) to combine a hobby with his desire to connect with voters in novel ways outside of a typical political setting. Jordan recruited Eric Castater (House District 45), Micheal Garza (House District 46), and Laura Judge (Cobb Board of Education Post 5) to join his adventuring party.

This event will take place from 4 – 7 pm on August 25th at Round Trip Brewing Company in East Cobb (4475 Roswell Rd Suite 1600, Marietta, GA 30062).This date was chosen as a nod to DragonCon, the massive fan convention that takes place annually in Atlanta during Labor Day weekend.

The host and designer of the game is Alex White, a local sci-fi and fiction author. White has written several novels, including entries to the Alien and Star Trek franchises. They are currently working on the newest Alien video game, Alien: Rogue Incursion.

The ticketed fundraising event will feature a three hour show, a costume contest, and giveaways.

The candidates featured are as follows:

• JD Jordan, who is running for Georgia Senate District 56. Senate District 56 includes western Roswell, East Cobb, as well as portions of Woodstock and Holly Springs. President Biden won 43% of the vote in this district in 2020.
• Eric Castater, who is running for Georgia House District 45. House District 45 includes East Cobb. President Biden won 47.2% of the vote in HD45.
• Micheal Garza, who is running for Georgia House District 46. House District 46 contains portions of East Cobb and Southeastern Cherokee County. Biden earned 44.1% of the vote in 2020.
• Laura Judge, who is running for Cobb County Board of Education Post 5. Post 5 covers East Cobb running from Marietta to the Fulton County border. Biden earned 48.6% of the vote in this district.

Tickets are available for purchase at: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dungeonsanddems

Despite this being a ticketed event, we invite all members of the public to watch the event via a livestream broadcasted on Twitch. The broadcast will begin at 3:45 at https://www.twitch.tv/ftrstrategies

“When JD approached me with this concept, I leapt at the chance to put it together because I think that it accomplishes three very important things,” said Mo Pippin, co-owner of FTR Strategies, “Firstly, it lives up to our mission of finding creative and innovative ways to meet our community members wherever they are. Secondly we are creating an opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together over an interest that has persisted since the 80s as a beloved activity for generations of people. Thirdly and most importantly, this gives community members a space to see these candidates as who they truly are – fellow nerds, hobbyists, musicians, and storytellers.

“The campaign trail often shows one dimension of what it takes to be a candidate for office; we want to break the traditional perception that people have built regarding who can be a candidate and what a candidate is supposed to be like. These are our neighbors running grassroots campaigns while maintaining full-time jobs and personal lives. We hope this event serves as an opportunity for people to engage with us in a lighthearted and interactive environment.”