Former East Cobb GOP legislator running in special election

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Mitchell Kaye, who held a Georgia House seat in East Cobb for a decade, announced Wednesday he is running in the special election for District 45.Mitchell Kaye, Georgia House special election

Kaye served from 1993-2003, and was the first Jewish Republican elected to the Georgia legislature.

In a press release announcing his campaign, Kaye said he’s running because “it is important that this seat remain Republican.”

The special election was called for April 5 after longtime GOP Rep. Matt Dollar resigned to take a job with the state technical college system.

His successor will serve the rest of Dollar’s term, through the end of the year.

A primary for the new District 45 will be held in May. State Rep. Sharon Cooper, an East Cobb Republican who has held the nearby District 43 since 1997, has been drawn into the new 45.

Qualifying began Wednesday and continues until 1 p.m. Friday for the special election, which will be held in a “jungle” format, meaning candidates of all parties will be running together.

If the leading candidate does not get a majority of the vote, a runoff will take place on May 3.

The only other special election candidate who has announced is Democrat Dustin McCormick.

Kaye has lived in East Cobb for more than 30 years and is a financial and valuation analyst. He and his wife Amy have three children and two grandchildren and are members of the Chabad at Cobb synagogue.

He also has written a column for the Atlanta Jewish Times publication.

During his time in the legislature, Kaye was a deputy minority whip when Republicans were in the minority.

He received a legislator of the year award from the Eagle Forum for supporting parental rights in education. Kaye also worked to repeal a state tax on used cars.

The Republican-dominated Georgia General Assembly reapportioned Congressional and legislative seats in November in an attempt to solidify their majorities.

Democrats have filed lawsuits claiming the redrawn lines are diminishing black voting power, especially in former conservative areas like Cobb that are electing more Democrats.

In his campaign release, Kaye said that “unless a judge throws out the reapportionment maps, the winner of this election will not serve a single day when the legislature is in session, and it is critically important that constituent services go uninterrupted.”

If the lines must be redrawn in a special session, Kaye said, “I have been through these reapportionment battles before. Now is not the time for on the job training as experience is more important than ever.”

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