Once the bastion of Southern Sunbelt Republicanism, Cobb County has become hotly contested turf in major elections. The Georgia governor’s race is the latest example.
In 2016, a majority of Cobb voters preferred a Democratic presidential candidate over a Republican for the first time since Jimmy Carter.
Hillary Clinton’s 48-46 margin over Donald Trump revealed some gradual demographic changes in the Cobb electorate which could factor in many state and local elections that will conclude on Tuesday.
The major-party nominees for Georgia governor both visited Cobb this week, and one with very notable company. Democrat Stacey Abrams, a former minority leader of the Georgia House, had a town hall meeting Thursday at the Cobb Civic Center with Oprah Winfrey.
That Oprah Winfrey. On Friday, former President Barack Obama stumped on behalf of Abrams in Atlanta.
Vice President Mike Pence was in the state this week at the same time, campaigning for Republican nominee Brian Kemp, the Georgia Secretary of State. On Monday, President Trump will be coming to Macon to campaign for Kemp, whom he endorsed in a runoff.
Abrams would be the first black and female governor in Georgia, and the first black female governor in any state.
Kemp also was in Cobb County this week, and had an event at Williamson Bros. BBQ in East Marietta.
Georgia voters also will be choosing a whole slate of statewide offices, including lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, two public service commissioners as well as labor, agriculture and insurance commissioners.
Some polls have the governor’s race too close to call. A runoff is possible but is not considered likely, with Libertarian candidate Ted Metz polling under 2 percent.
Early voting ended in Cobb on Friday, and Cobb Elections is reporting that more than 92,000 people voted in person through Thursday. Another 21,000 Cobb voters cast absentee ballots.
According to Ryan Anderson, creator of the independent site Georgia Votes, more than 2 million early votes have been cast across the state, an increase of 120 percent from early voting during the 2014 midterm elections.
East Cobb voters will have a full slate of races on their ballots, which is a rare thing. There is a Democrat in every race in an area that has all Republican incumbent office holders.
We’ll have more later this weekend and on Monday as the campaigning comes to a close, and final balloting takes place on Tuesday.
