An East Cobb resident involved in youth sports in the community is expected to announce his campaign this week for a seat on the Cobb Board of Education next year.
That’s the Post 5 seat currently held by four-term Republican David Banks, whose term expires at the end of 2024.
John Cristadoro referenced Friday in a post on a Facebook page created for his campaign a “Special Announcement Coming Soon” at the Cobb Republican Party breakfast on Saturday, April 1.
He’s also launched a “John4Cobb” campaign website indicating he’s seeking the Post 5 seat, but has posted no further information.
In response to a message from East Cobb News, Cristadoro acknowledged he will be officially launching his campaign on Saturday and providing more details later.
Post 5 includes most of the Walton and Wheeler and some of the Pope attendance zones.
Cristadoro is the president of Alliance Tax Solutions, with offices in Atlanta and Houston, which helps businesses resolve tax issues.
He’s a parent in the Walton attendance zone and is involved with the Walton youth football and wrestling programs and East Side youth baseball.
Cristadoro, who is is married with two children, hails from New Orleans and is an Air Force veteran.
He also is involved in Advocates for Love, a Christian ministry that cares for orphans in the Dominican Republic.
Banks, who was first elected in 2008, has not indicated if he will be seeking a fifth term.
His seat is one of four on the Cobb school board that will be up for election in 2024. They include two other posts also held by Republicans, who hold a 4-3 majority.
Banks, who is the current board vice chairman, fended off primary and general election competition in 2020. But he won by his slimmest margin, by only 2,639 votes.
He has been a controversial figure, primarily about immigration, racial issues and COVID-19. Most recently, he sparked outrage about comments he made about Roman Catholicism.
Following reapportionment in 2022, Post 5 was altered to include most of the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones that had been in Post 6, which was shifted to the Smyrna-Cumberland area.
Post 6 was represented from 2019-22 by Democrat Charisse Davis, who did not seek re-election last year.
Some of the old Post 5, including much of the Lassiter attendance zone, was placed in Post 4, in which Republican David Chastain was elected to a third term last November.
Related:
- Cobb ethics board dismisses complaint against Richardson
- East Cobb legislator excused from voting on youth transgender bill
- Cobb commission redistricting bill dies in Ga. Senate
- East Cobb resident, commissioner, file redistricting lawsuit
- East Cobb resident files ethics complaint against Richardson
- Cobb Republican commissioners vote, contest meeting minutes
- Ga. Attorney General: Cobb electoral maps are ‘not legally binding’
- Cobb Republican commissioners leave meeting over abstentions
- East Cobb News Politics & Elections page
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I look forward to hearing more about his specific goals and vision for the school board and the district leadership. I expect a businessperson would value responsible fiscal practices, but want to hear him address it.
I’m hopeful all candidates will run respectful campaigns that put students first, pledging to work with all board members cooperatively, represent all constituents and focus on facts not fiction. And that they’ll demand that of anyone supporting them and working on their election efforts.
Unlike what Dr. Pozniak had to endure. Remember how she was called an outsider despite being born and raised in Cobb County and returning to her childhood home after getting a world class education and living and working in other states, including Louisiana? Her Ivy League education, and military service were somehow spun into negatives and her contributions from out of state friends and family were somehow characterized as proof of a liberal agenda. … let’s not do that.
The very *best* to be said of David Banks is that he’s a deranged kook. Mr. Christadoro appears to be a solid candidate, but basically *anybody* would be an improvement on Banks.