East Cobb News

UPDATED, 12 A.M.

The Cobb Board of Education will remain in Republican control after Post 4 incumbent David Chastain won a third term on Tuesday.

And Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, seeking her fourth term, ensured that Republicans would hold two of the five seats on the board with an easy re-election victory in District 3.

Gov. Brian Kemp was re-elected in a 2018 rematch with Stacey Abrams, and the U.S. Senate race appears headed to a runoff.

In the Cobb school board race, Chastain fended off Democratic newcomer Catherine Pozniak in a heated Post 4 campaign (Kell, Lassiter, Sprayberry clusters).

With all but one of the post’s 29 precincts reporting, Chastain received 21,061 votes, or 55.29 percent, to 17,034 for Pozniak, or 44.71 percent (results here).

Chastain was the only Republican on the school board up for re-election. Democrats won contests for open seats in Post 2 and Post 6, meaning that the GOP will continue to hold a 4-3 advantage for at least another two years.

Birrell had little trouble against Democrat Christine Triebsch in a newly redrawn district that includes most of East Cobb.

With all but two of 52 precincts reporting, Birrell received 46,019 votes, or 59 percent, to 31,921 votes for Triebsch, or 42 percent (results here).

Keli Gambrill, the other Republican Cobb commissioner, won a second term Tuesday after being unopposed in Post 1 in north and west Cobb.

You can find all Cobb results, including Cobb solicitor, another contested school board race and the Mableton cityhood referendum, at this link.

You also can track all results around the state compiled by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office by clicking here.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is neck-and neck with Republican Herschel Walker in a bid for a full 6-year term. With 90 percent of the vote in, Warnock had 49.07 percent of the vote compared to 48.92 percent for Walker in results that went back-and-forth all night.

Libertarian Chase Oliver has received 2 percent, and a Dec. 6 runoff looms between Walker and Warnock if the top vote-getter does not get 50 percent plus one vote. (updated real-time results here).

Kemp defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams in their rematch from 2018, holding a 55-44 percent advantage. Unlike four years ago, Abrams conceded this race.

Republicans swept all statewide constitutional offices (click here for results), including incumbents in Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr.

In U.S. House races, Republican Rich McCormick cruised over Democrat Bob Christian in the 6th Congressional District, an open seat after U.S. Lucy McBath moved to the 7th District following reapportionment.

She won a third term in the Gwinnett-based district Tuesday, and in District 11, which includes some of East Cobb, GOP U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk won easily over Democrat Anthony Daza.

Democrats won two open seats in the Georgia legislature from the East Cobb area, one each in the House and Senate.

More updated and detailed results to come Wednesday and later in the week.

UPDATED, 10:30 P.M.

Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell leads by 17 points in her re-election bid in District 3 with 82 percent of precincts reporting;

Cobb school board member David Chastain leads with 54.7 percent of the vote and 80 percent of precincts reporting in Post 4.

UPDATED, 9:25 P.M.

Some very early election-day voting results are trickling in for the two East Cobb local elections we’re tracking.

With 33 percent of the precincts reporting, Republican incumbent JoAnn Birrell has opened a 13-point lead over Democrat Christine Triebsch for the  seat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

The Cobb Board of Education Post 4 race was neck-and-neck early, and with 37 percent of the precincts reporting, Republican David Chastain leads Democrat Catherine Pozniak 52.5 percent to 47.4 percent.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

The polls have closed in Georgia, and the counting has begun for the 2022 general elections.

East Cobb News will continuously update this post all evening with results, reaction and more coverage.

(Here’s our election day set-up post that breaks down key races and candidates at the local, state and federal level.

Typically early voting and absentee figures are tallied first, followed by same-day voting results and more recent absentee votes.

Earlier absentee ballots are expected to be counted rather quickly, as they have been processed to prepare for tabulation when the polls close.

While we await full results, we’ll post early voting and absentee figures as they are revealed.

Related:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!