Brunessa Drayton, a former Cobb Library System supervisor and chief assistant to Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, announced Tuesday she is running for Cobb Superior Court Clerk in 2024.
Drayton, a Democrat who declared her intent to run in November, said she is running “because the Clerk’s office is in need of leadership that’s focused on the details. I’m ready to bring leadership, integrity, and transparency to the Clerk’s office.”
(Here’s Drayton’s campaign website.)
She the second Democratic hopeful challenging incumbent clerk Connie Taylor, who has come under fire for personally pocketing more than $400,000 in passport fees—which are legal—but far beyond her salary of $170,000.
More recently, Taylor has been the subject of complaints from lawyers, judges and prosecutors, as reported by the MDJ, for a backlog of filing online court records going back several months.
The newspaper reported last week that Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert Leonard even posted a message on his Facebook page telling attorneys with cases before him that “if you have something important that needs attention, or even a responsive pleading with a hearing coming up, please send my office a courtesy copy.”
Taylor was elected in 2020, defeating Republican incumbent Rebecca Keaton.
Nick Simpson, a candidate for the clerk’s office in 2020, also has announced as a Democrat.
In a release announcing her campaign, Drayton didn’t mention Taylor by name or specify those issues, but said that “I know the importance of a government that works for people and makes the most of our community’s hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Under my leadership, the Clerk’s office will solve problems instead of creating them.”
In her time in Cupid’s office, Drayton helped provide oversight during the county’s COVID-19 response and to develop programs such as the county’s first Youth Commission and Cobb African American Public Policy Forum.
She also was the Northwest Georgia Outreach Coordinator for U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Drayton and her husband have four sons and live in Powder Springs. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University and a master’s degree in public administration from Kennesaw State University and has been a member of the Cobb Library Board of Trustees.
Related:
- New Ga. Congressional lines likely to prompt legal challenge
- Legislature passes maps altering East Cobb State Senate lines
- Proposed Congressional map would redraw East Cobb lines
- Ga. special legislative session to redraw electoral maps
- McCormick closes district office due to ‘serious threats’
- Richardson advisor declares intent for Cobb Commission campaign
- Ga. redistricting maps thrown out; special session called
- East Cobb News Politics & Elections page
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