When we spoke with David Banks in April, after a Republican challenger had declared for his seat on the Cobb Board of Education, the four-term Post 5 incumbent told us he was undecided.
That’s still the case, more than six months later, and with a Democratic candidate also having declared for the seat that includes the Pope, Walton and Wheeler high school clusters in East Cobb.
“My wife says no but she said no last time,” Banks told East Cobb News on Monday at the new Eastvalley Elementary School, where a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place.
He said the the main issue is his health—he’s in his early 80s and is dealing with back, hearing and eyesight issues—and the energy level it takes to serve.
“I’ve got to make a decision soon,” Banks said, indicating he’s hoping that will be by December.
His term ends at the end of 2024, and he’s one of three board Republicans who will be on the ballot next year. Republicans hold a 4-3 majority on a school board that has dealt with a number of contentious issues along partisan lines in recent years.
Banks said that former school board member John Crooks was considering a campaign for Post 5 and that he would have endorsed him and retired. But Crooks decided not to run.
Republican John Cristadoro and Democrat Laura Judge are the only announced candidates thus far, and both were in attendance at the Eastvalley ribbon-cutting event.
Eastvalley is among the schools in a Post 5 that was redrawn by the Georgia legislature last year to reduce East Cobb school constituencies to two posts. In Post 4, Republican David Chastain represents the Kell, Lassiter and Sprayberry clusters, and Post 6 (formerly Walton and Wheeler) is now in the Cumberland-Vinings-Smyrna area.
“It’s in a state of flux,” Banks said. “There are still a lot of things I’d like to do. But there are a lot of reasons not to do it.”
He said he’s interested in expanding the robotics program at Walton High School and would like to see Wheeler, which has a STEM magnet program, become a “100 percent” STEM school, similar to the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology.
“The future is technology and AI,” said Banks, a retired technology executive. “People don’t understand what’s coming.”
First elected in 2009, Banks has been a controversial figure for his comments on racial and cultural issues and for using his personal newsletter to send messages against the COVID-19 vaccine.
More recently, he drew fire for social media comments disparaging the Roman Catholic faith.
In 2020, Banks won a three-way GOP primary without a runoff but defeated a Democratic challenger only by 2,639 votes.
Cristadoro and Judge are parents in the Walton cluster who have drawn high-profile support.
Cristadoro is being backed by former Cobb Chamber of Commerce President John Loud and has raised more than $30,000 in a campaign finance effort that could reach six figures.
Judge is a member of Watching the Funds—Cobb, a watchdog group that tracks spending in the Cobb County School District, and formerly served as education chair in the citizens cabinet of Democratic District 2 Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson.
The 2024 primaries will be in May.
Related:
- Cobb schools teacher of the year honored at Marietta Square
- Wheeler HS tops Cobb 2023 ACT scores
- Lassiter leads Cobb 2023 graduation rates
- Second-year Wheeler HS band director dies
- Timber Ridge ES custodian ‘Mr. Jimmy’ dies
- Walton, Wheeler, Lassiter lead 2023 Cobb SAT scores
- National Merit Scholarship semifinalists named for 2024
- Ragsdale: ‘Sexualization of children can never be defended’
- East Cobb News Politics & Elections page
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