Former legislator wins special election runoff for East Cobb seat

Mitch Kaye is returning to the Georgia General Assembly, although not for a legislative session.

A Republican who represented part of East Cobb from 1993-2002, Kaye won a special election runoff Tuesday to fill out the remainder of the term of former State Rep. Matt Dollar.

Kaye will serve out the rest of the year representing the current District 45 after defeating Democratic newcomer Dustin McCormick.

With all 12 precincts fully reporting, Kaye received 2,762 votes, or 56.7 percent, to 2,108 votes for McCormick, or 43.3 percent, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

While McCormick received more votes during early voting than Kaye (692-520), Kaye benefitted from strong runoff day turnout.

Kaye won all 12 precincts, earning 55 percent or more of the vote in eight precincts. Turnout was 11 percent in a district with nearly 37,000 registered voters.

You can read through details of the voting by clicking here; the results are unofficial until they are certified by the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration.

“The win was a team effort with a lot of hard work from the Cobb GOP to the state GOP along with many old and new friends,” Kaye said.

Kaye and McCormick were the top two finishers in a four-candidate field in the April 5 special election, but neither earned a majority of the votes.

Both opposed East Cobb Cityhood, and made that a focal point of their campaigns.

Kaye, a financial and valuation analyst who has lived in East Cobb for more than 30 years, was the first Jewish Republican elected to the Georgia legislature. He and his wife are members of the Chabad of Cobb synagogue.

During his first stint 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’s election comes three weeks before primary elections will be decided with new legislative lines. He did not qualify to run in the new District 45 and will step down when his successor is sworn into office in January.

Kaye said that “although there may not be a legislative session, proper representation isn’t just during the 40-day legislative session.

“There is ongoing important work in providing constituent service as well as policy issues to address problems and opportunities our community and state faces.”

A special election was called Feb. 4 when Dollar, who had represented District 45 for two decades, abruptly resigned to take a job with the state’s technical college system.

He made his announcement from the well of the House floor moments after the East Cobb Cityhood bill he sponsored passed in the lower chamber.

McCormick is the only Democrat to qualify for the newly redrawn seat. In November, he will face either State Rep. Sharon Cooper, currently of District 43, or Cobb Republican Party activist Carminthia Moore.

They are vying in the Republican primary that will be decided May 24. Early voting in the primaries and three cityhood referendums, including East Cobb, began Monday and will continue through May 20.

Related:

• Cobb early voting map shows wait times at polling locations
• Cobb advance voting guide for primaries, referendums
• East Cobb News Politics & Elections page

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