Christine Triebsch

East Cobb 2020 Elections Preview: Georgia Senate District 32

by

Georgia Senate District 32 preview

For the third consecutive election, the same two candidates are on the ballot for the Georgia State Senate seat that covers most of East Cobb.

Republican Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (at left) is being challenged by Democrat Christine Triebsch (at right) in District 32, which also includes a portion of Sandy Springs.

Kirkpatrick, a retired orthopedic surgeon, defeated Triebsch in a 2017 special election runoff to succeed longtime Sen. Judson Hill, who resigned to run for Congress.

In 2018, Kirkpatrick won 58 percent of the vote against Triebsch in the general election to earn a full two-year term.

At a candidates forum this week sponsored by the East Cobb Business Association, Kirkpatrick said she’s “worked regularly across the aisle to solve problems,” both at the state and local level.

Her proudest piece of legislation, she said, was the “Save Our Sandwiches” bill that changed a provision in state law to allow non-profit organizations—especially Cobb-based MUST Ministries—to make sandwiches in church and similar kitchens as part of their efforts to feed those in need.

Triebsch is part of a wave of Democratic candidates in the county, including a number of women in East Cobb, who never been involved in politics until the election of Donald Trump as president.

“I think every race should be contested,” said Triebsch, a family law attorney whose husband is a Cobb County School District teacher. They have two children, a college senior and a daughter who who attends Pope High School.

As of Sept. 30, Kirkpatrick reported having raised $383,535 overall and $95,875 in the third quarter, with $248,345 cash on hand.

Triebsch has received a total of $32,617 in contributions with $10,960 in the third quarter, and has $21,886 in cash on hand/

Here are the latest campaign disclosure reports filed by Kirkpatrick and Triebsch respectively.

Candidate websites

Kirkpatrick, who contracted COVID-19 right before the legislative session was suspended in March, said continued efforts to get the virus under control is the top issue for her, especially following accepted public health guidelines while aiding the state’s economic recovery from shutdowns.

“We have a lot of businesses that have been devastated,” said Kirkpatrick, who has received the endorsements of the National Federation of Independent Business and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

In order for business and economic growth to take place, said Kirkpatrick, “we have to get out of the way.”

Triebsch said her top priorities are education funding and expanding health care access, including state Medicaid options.

She said supports fully funding K-12 education and is “totally against [private school] vouchers, and my opponent voted for it,” Triebsch said.

With reapportionment coming up in 2021, Triebsch also supports a non-partisan, independent panel to redraw congressional, legislative and local government and school board lines, a measure supported by Georgia Democrats in general.

“We need to get rid of gerrymandering,” Triebsch said.

She’s been endorsed by a variety of labor, pro-choice and gun-control organizations, including Georgia AFL-CIO, NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia and Moms Demand Action.

Both candidates are against East Cobb cityhood (see previous post here) and in response to another question at the forum, both also said they’re against defunding the police.

“I’ll always back the blue,” Kirkpatrick said. “Cops don’t want bad cops in their ranks.” She said she’s confident that a special legislative committee on police reform that met earlier this year will produce “some good legislation” in 2021.

Triebsch said defunding the police isn’t the way to reform. “I support better funding so we’ll have better-qualified candidates, and we need more funding for training.”

She emphasized her approach as a candidate as “running as your neighbor” and not a politician. Of Kirkpatrick, Triebsch said, “her values and voting are very different from me.”

Kirkpatrick said she’s “got a proven track record” in the legislature and pledged she would continue to be responsive and accessible if re-elected.

Related Content

 

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!

East Cobb Elections Preview: District 32 Georgia State Senate

by

District 32 Georgia State Senate, Kay Kirkpatrick, Christine Triebsch

The District 32 Georgia State Senate race is a rematch from last year’s special election.

Kay Kirkpatrick (pictured at left), a Republican retired orthopedic surgeon who won that election to succeed Judson Hill, is once again facing family law attorney Chrstine Triebsch, a Democrat (pictured at right).

Kirkpatrick won a runoff against Triebsch by 57-43 percent for the seat that covers most of East Cobb and some of Sandy Springs.

Neither of them faced primary opposition in May. They were part of a candidates forum in early October sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Cobb-Marietta.

They discussed health care, taxes, public safety and other issues on a panel with candidates in other Cobb senate races.

Triebsch said that in the Republican-dominated Georgia state government, “we need a two-party system.” She said her platform is comprised of “common sense and compassion” and fresh approaches for jobs, health care, education and the environment.”

Kirkpatrick said her objective has been to “bring a voice of reason to state government” and has focused on improving health insurance options, public safety and services for military veterans.

Candidate websites

At the League of Women Voters forum, they differed on tax issues. Kirkpatrick voted for a state tax cut for individuals and businesses and said “I would like to look for more savings [in places such as state agencies] and cut taxes further.

Triebsch said that before cutting taxes, new sources of revenue must be found. She’s also against eliminating the state income tax.

On health care issues, Triebsch supports expanding Medicaid in Georgia and preserving the Affordable Health Care Act, or Obamacare.

A member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Kirkpatrick said she hears more from constituents about health insurance issues than just about anything else, especially the costs of premiums on the individual market.

“There’s a lot we can do to rein in the big carriers,” she said.

As for Medicaid expansion, Kirkpatrick said a problem bigger than expansion is that “we have to fix a system that is broken.”

On education matters, Triebsch advocates a new funding formula to replace the Quality Basic Education Act, which is more than 30 years old. She opposes vouchers for private schools.

School choice, she said, “is not a choice if the choice is not a public school.”

Triebsch says she supports better pay for teachers and efforts to reduce class size.

Kirkpatrick said she wants to “support teachers in a different way” with funding also being directed to address social issues, including more support for counselors. She also is stressing school safety and has been appointed to a special Senate study committee on the subject.

Related coverage

 

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!

East Cobb Elections Qualifying: Birrell, state legislators have primary foes

by

Qualifying for 2018 state, federal and local races is ending on Friday, and in East Cobb a number of incumbents will have party opposition in the May 22 primary.

JoAnn Birrell
District 3 commissioner JoAnn Birrell

The most-watched race figures to be the District 3 seat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners. Republican incumbent JoAnn Birrell has qualified, and is being opposed in the primary by Tom Cheek, who recently moved into the Northeast Cobb district.

Cheek, a software account manager, is campaigning on a platform favoring low taxes and reduced spending to solve the Cobb government budget deficit, and opposes high-density development. He stepped into the public spotlight after filing ethics complaints against former Cobb commission chairman Tim Lee for his handling of the Atlanta Braves stadium deal.

Tom Cheek, Cobb commission candidate
Tom Cheek

Birrell has served as District 3 representative since 2011, when she succeeded Lee, and has been highly visible in the community. She has been active with Keep Cobb Beautiful, the Northeast Cobb Business Association and Superior Pets for Patriotic Pets. She also was a strong advocate for the creation of Mabry Park, which recently began construction.

The Democrats to qualify are retiree James Smith and Caroline Holko, a stay-at-home mother.

Congress

First-term U.S. Rep. Karen Handel is the only Republican to qualify for the Georgia 6th District seat that includes East Cobb.

Lucy McBath, Georgia 6th Congressional District candidate
Lucy McBath

Handel, elected last June to succeed Tom Price in a special election, will await the winner of a four-way Democratic primary in May. She won’t be facing Jon Ossoff, whom she beat last summer in the most expensive Congressional election in history. He has opted not to run for a seat that also includes north Fulton and north and central DeKalb.

The Democratic candidates include Bobby Kaple, a former news anchor at CBS 46, technology consultant Kevin Abel, management consultant Steven Knight Griffin and gun-control advocate Lucy McBath, a former Delta flight attendant who lives in East Cobb.

Her son, Jordan Davis, was shot and killed in 2012 at a gas station in Jacksonville, Fla., by another motorist in an altercation over loud music. The killer received life in prison. McBath had intended to run for the Georgia legislature but changed her filing to Congress after the deadly Feb. 14 school shootings in Parkland, Fla.

Georgia legislature

There will be a rematch of last year’s special election in State Senate District 32. Incumbent Republican Kay Kirkpatrick, a retired orthopedic surgeon, will be opposed by her 2017 opponent, Democratic attorney Christine Triebsch, in November. The district covers most of East Cobb and part of north Fulton.

State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick
State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick

In State House District 37, incumbent Sam Teasley is the only Republican to qualify. The Democratic primary will include computer consultant Bill Bolden, social worker Mary Frances Williams and sales manager Ragin Edwards.

Longtime Republican State Rep. Sharon Cooper of District 43 has a Republican opponent in Kevin W. James, who owns a media production company in East Cobb. The lone Democrat to qualify is Luisa Wakeman, a flight attendant.

Don Parsons, incumbent in State House District 44, also has opposition from retiree Homer Crothers in the GOP primary. Chinita Allen, a teacher at Chalker Elementary School, has qualified as a Democrat.

State Rep. John Carson
State Rep. John Carson

In State House District 45, Republican incumbent Matt Dollar will not have a primary challenger. His Democratic opponent in November will be Essence Johnson, a human resources and operations manager.

Another East Cobb legislative seat also will pit a Republican incumbent against a Democratic foe in November. District 46 State Rep. John Carson has qualified and will face Karín Sandiford, a technology consultant and entrepreneur.

Cobb school board

Two of the three East Cobb members on the Cobb Board of Education are up for re-election this year. In Post 6, two-term Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney, who represents the Walton, Wheeler and part of the Campbell high school attendance zones, has qualified and has no primary opposition. His general election opponent in November will be Democrat Charisse Davis of Smyrna, a public librarian and former school teacher.

Charisse Davis, Cobb Board of Education candidate
Charisse Davis

Republican David Chastain of Post 4 in Northeast Cobb has qualified to run for a second term and has not drawn any party opposition in an area that includes the Kell and Sprayberry attendance zones.

His Democratic opponent in November will be Cynthia Parr.

Judgeships

Several Cobb judicial posts will also be decided this year in non-partisan elections.

Three Cobb Superior Court posts are up for election this year, and incumbents Ann Harris, Robert Leonard and Robert Flournoy are the only qualifiers.

For Cobb State Court Judge Div. 2, Post 4 incumbent Bridgette Campell is the only candidate to qualify. The same goes for incumbent Post 3 judge Henry Thompson and Jason Fincher in Post 1. The only candidate qualifying for State Court Judge Post 5 is incumbent David Darden.

Republican incumbent Cobb Solicitor General Barry Morgan is the lone qualifier for that office, which prosecutes cases in State Court.

 

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!