The Georgia runoff elections Tuesday will decide two statewide offices—Secretary of State, and a spot on the Public Service Commission.
Voting is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your regular polling station (click here to check).
In the Secretary of State race, Republican Brad Raffensperger is facing Democrat John Barrow, a former Congressman.
In the Nov. 6 general election, Raffensperger got 49.09 percent of the vote and Barrow received 48.67 percent. Libertarian candidate Smythe Duval of Marietta had 2.23 percent of the vote.
The winner will succeed Brian Kemp, the Georgia governor-elect. He resigned on Nov. 7 and Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Robyn Crittenden to serve on an interim basis.
District 3 covers most of metro Atlanta, including Cobb County. Eaton received 49.7 percent of the vote, Miller got 47.63 percent and Libertarian Ryan Graham earned 2.67 percent.
Republicans won all other statewide offices in the Nov. 6 general election. However, Democrats got a majority of the vote in Cobb for those offices.
According to Cobb Elections, a total of 28,467 people cast ballots in advance voting last week.
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A “Blue Wave” tent on election day in front of Eastvalley Elementary School urged voters to support Democratic candidates. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
Cobb County may be trending for the Democratic Party in major elections, but East Cobb remains reliably Republican ground in the county and metro Atlanta area.
But it could be argued that East Cobb’s stronghold status has been dented to some degree in Tuesday’s elections.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams carried the county by 54-46 percent, following Hillary Clinton’s 46-44 margin over Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race.
Brian Kemp won precincts in blue; Stacey Abrams in green; click map for precinct details.
Voters in East Cobb stuck with Republicans in those races, just as they did for the most part this week. (The results of all races are to be certified Monday by the Cobb Board of Elections.)
Yet for the first time in a long time, Democratic candidates were on the ballot in every race in the East Cobb area, which no longer has all GOP elected officials.
Lucy McBath, a Democrat from East Cobb and a gun-control advocate with a national profile, unseated Republican incumbent Karen Handel in a close 6th Congressional District race. Handel won East Cobb precincts decisively, getting in some cases more than 60 percent of the vote.
But McBath cruised in DeKalb and nearly drew even with Handel in North Fulton, following some suburban trendlines in Congressional elections that are favoring Democratic candidates.
That it happened in a district that has been in Republican hands since Newt Gingrich was first elected in 1978 is notable.
McBath’s unofficial victory was less than 3,000 votes, a year after Handel fended off Jon Ossoff by four points in a special election that was the most expensive ever for a U.S. House race.
Close calls in county, legislative races
In the Cobb Board of Education Post 6 election, Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney was defeated by Democrat Charisse Davis (in photo) in another close race. The post covers the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones and some of the Campbell area.
Sweeney ran strong in most East Cobb precincts where he lives, but Davis got most of her votes in the Smyrna and Vinings area that is her home.
Longtime legislator Sharon Cooper, the chairwoman of the Georgia House Health and Human Services Committee, was re-elected with only 52 percent of the vote for the District 43 seat in East Cobb she has held since 1997.
That 52 percent number is also is what Republican Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell received in her election to a third term representing District 3. She defeated Caroline Holko, a Democratic first-time candidate like many others in East Cobb, but this was Birrell’s closest margin since she was first elected.
Republican State Rep. Sam Teasley, who represents part of Northeast Cobb in District 37, was defeated also by the slightest of margins by Democrat Mary Frances Williams.
Otherwise, Republican incumbents prevailed in East Cobb, which is looking like territory of last resort for the county GOP.
Wake-up call for Cobb GOP
In a statement, the Cobb Republican Party said on Wednesday that “while the Blue Wave did not turn out to be the tsunami Democrats hoped for, it did hit Cobb County and did wash out a couple of our great Republican elected officials.”
Sam Teasley was the lone Republican legislator representing East Cobb who was defeated Tuesday.
Noting that Abrams won won Cobb by nearly 30,000 votes, the GOP added that “we all now see exactly how much we must fight for every vote, or concede Cobb to Democrats along with higher taxes for less services.
“Nothing in politics is ever permanent and sometimes a wake-up call what is needed to spur good people to action,” said the Cobb Republican statement.
Demographic changes are part of the reason why Cobb is becoming more “blue,” and not just in South Cobb. Marietta and points north in Acworth and Kennesaw also are voting more with Democrats.
Some precincts in East Cobb closer to the city of Marietta are also trending purple, if not blue. Some Republicans were getting closer to 50 percent than the 55-and-up margins they enjoy in easternmost precincts.
The Cobb school board, which has had a 6-1 Republican majority for several years, will now be a 4-3 split, with Democrats picking up two seats on Tuesday. Republican David Chastain, who represents the Kell and Sprayberry areas, was re-elected.
The Cobb state house delegation will have a Democratic majority, holding eight of the 15 seats come January.
The Ossoff effect?
In East Cobb, last year’s special Congressional election inspired Ossoff volunteers to launch candidacies of their own.
None of them won on Tuesday, but they did make entrenched Republican incumbents, some of whom see little competition, campaign more than usual.
All of the Democrats were women, and some of them, including McBath and Davis, are minorities. A number of them were outspokenly progressive in their views, which is also unusual for those running for office in East Cobb.
Holko (in photo) was among them, as she advocated for more transit options and other positions that aren’t heard much on the campaign trail in this community. The day after the election, she told supporters that “Rome wasn’t built in a day, and change comes in steps.”
Whether this year’s Democratic surge in Cobb is part of a permanent movement or not remains to be seen.
What seems fairly clear is that with a presidential race looming in 2020, East Cobb will be eyed for further gains by Democrats, and doubling-down efforts by Republicans.
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Most East Cobb incumbents prevailed in Tuesday’s elections, but two races may not be determined for a while.
And the governor’s race could be headed for a runoff.
In the 6th Congressional District race, Republican incumbent Karen Handel was fighting to hold on to the seat she won in a special election last year against Democratic newcomer Lucy McBath.
As of this writing, Handel led by fewer than 200 votes, out of more than 300,000 cast, with a handful of Cobb and some Fulton precincts still not reporting.
That’s because some polls closed in Fulton around 10 p.m. after technical issues, and the last of the voters cast their ballots shortly before midnight.
Fulton is the battleground in the 6th District, which has been in GOP hands since 1978. Handel won East Cobb precincts with 56 percent of the vote, while Handel cruised in north and central DeKalb with 59 percent.
In north Fulton, Handel’s home turf, she was leading 50.53-49.47 percent. Handel and McBath both told their supporters late Tuesday the final results won’t be determined until Wednesday.
The close race comes as Democrats were projected to regain control of the U.S. House.
In the Cobb Board of Education Post 6 race, Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney also was in a battle with a newcomer, Democrat Charisse Davis, for the seat that includes the Walton and Wheeler and part of the Campbell attendance zones.
Shortly before 1 a.m., and with 100 percent of the precincts in, Davis has 19,324 votes, or 50.46 percent, to 18,971 for Sweeney, or 49.54 percent.
Sweeney is the parent of sons in the Walton district, and was first elected in 2010. He got his biggest margins in his East Cobb base.
Davis is a former teacher and public librarian who lives in the Campbell attendance zone, and that’s where she picked up most of her votes.
Her election would cut the Republican majority on the seven-member school board to only 4-3. She also would be the only woman on the board.
Charisse Davis pulled ahead of Scott Sweeney by 300+ votes late Tuesday in the Cobb school board Post 6 election.
Two-term Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell pulled out a close re-election bid to keep her District 3 seat that includes Northeast Cobb. A Republican, she defeated Democrat Caroline Holko with 33,899 votes, or 52.40 percent, to 30,790, or 47.60 percent.
Republican Cobb school board member David Chastain was re-elected to the Post 6 seat that covers the Kell and Sprayberry attendance zones. He defeated Democrat Cynthia Parr with 19,247 votes, or 54.18 percent, to 16,278, or 45.82 percent.
Another close race in East Cobb was for the State House District 37 seat. Republican incumbent Sam Teasley was holding a very narrow lead over Democrat Mary Frances Williams. He had 10,932 votes, or 50.34 percent, to 10,785 votes for Williams, or 49.66 percent.
Other East Cobb legislative incumbents, all Republicans, held onto their seats: State Senator Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick and representatives Sharon Cooper, Matt Dollar, Don Parsons and John Carson.
Cooper had the closest race of all, defeating Democrat Luisa Wakeman by 52.55-47.45 percent in the State House 43 seat she has held since 1997.
In the Georgia governor’s race, Republican Brian Kemp was holding on against Democrat Stacey Abrams after rolling up a big lead early in the evening.
But Abrams fought back as metro Atlanta counties reported, including Cobb, and the race could be headed for a runoff.
With 95 percent of all precincts reporting, Kemp had 1,925,539 votes, or 51.06 percent. Abrams received 1,809,629 votes, or 47.99 percent. Abrams, who won Cobb by 53-45 percent, came out to her supporters in Atlanta early this morning and did not concede.
Libertarian Ted Metz got just 35,659 votes, but his 0.95 percent share of the statewide vote could extend a contentious race for a few more weeks.
We’ll follow up these developments and take a deeper look at the other races on East Cobb News Wednesday and through the rest of the week.
UPDATED, 10:15 P.M.
The “Blue Wave” election Democrats were hoping for has been little more than a trickle thus far in East Cobb, with one major exception.
In the 6th Congressional District race, Republican incumbent Karen Handel and Democratic Lucy McBath are running just about even and have exchanged thin leads.
At 10 p.m., Handel held a slight lead, 50.89 percent to 49.11 race, with 61 percent of the precincts fully reporting.
Due to technical issues, some precincts in Fulton County closed at 9:30 and 10 p.m.
In East Cobb, a Republican stronghold, Handel enjoys a 68.6-31.3 percent lead.
McBath has a 53-46 percent edge in DeKalb, and McBath is up 50-49 in Fulton.
In the Cobb Commission District 3 race, Republican incumbent JoAnn Birrell is leading Democrat Caroline Holko 62-38 percent, but none of the seat’s 44 precincts are fully reporting.
It’s also early in two Cobb school board races in East Cobb, where Republican incumbents David Chastain and Scott Sweeney have 60 and 67 percent of the vote, respectively.
East Cobb’s legislative incumbents, also all Republicans, also are leading handily, with most having 60 percent or more of the vote.
In the governor’s race, Republican Brian Kemp had a big early lead over Democrat Stacey Abrams that has narrowed to around 55-44 percent with 63 percent of the precincts reporting.
Metro Atlanta counties still have to fully report, including Cobb.
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On Tuesday voters will be going to the polls in midterms that have spiked interest across the country, and close to home. This East Cobb Election Day post rounds up everything we’ve put together before you head to your precinct and contains some late news from Monday as campaigning drew to a close.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all precincts.
In East Cobb, there’s a full slate of competitive races that is rare for a community that’s been strong Republican territory for years.
Every elected official who represents East Cobb—federal, state and local—is in the GOP, but there are Democrats in all of the 10 state and local races on Tuesday’s ballot.
All of the Democrats are women, many of them minorities. Nine of them are first-time candidates, some reacting to Donald Trump’s presidential election and energized by Jon Ossoff’s Congressional campaign.
With plenty of midterm prognostications focused on suburban voting, the results from East Cobb figure to be closely watched.
On Monday, some national polls declared the 6th Congressional District race that includes East Cobba toss-up, including the Cook Political Report and The New York Times.
Republican incumbent Karen Handel (left), who defeated Democrat Ossoff in a special election last year, is facing Democrat Lucy McBath (right), a high-profile gun-gun control advocate, in a race that could help determine party control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Handel had been holding a slight lead within the margin of error. When she defeated Ossoff last year, Handel got some of her strongest margins in East Cobb. The district also includes north Fulton, Sandy Springs, and north and central DeKalb.
Republicans are trying to hold on to their majority in the House, and are expected to lose seats. The 6th Congressional District of Georgia has been in GOP control since 1979, when Newt Gingrich was first elected.
The Georgia governor’s race also is expected to be close and is seen as sparking early voter turnout.
Democrat Stacey Abrams has drawn virtually even with Republican Brian Kemp, and Cobb County is seen as battleground turf. The possibility of a runoff looms with Libertarian candidate Ted Metz on the ballot.
The politicking also has gotten ugly, with Kemp, the current Secretary of State, accusing the Georgia Democratic Party of trying to hack the state elections system.
At the local level, there’s a Cobb Board of Commissioners race and two Cobb Board of Education races for East Cobb voters to decide.
District 3 Republican incumbent commissioner JoAnn Birrell is being challenged by Caroline Holko for a seat that includes Northeast Cobb.
For the Cobb school board Post 6 race, which includes the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones, two-term incumbent Scott Sweeney will face Charisse Davis. In Post 4 (Kell and Sprayberry), David Chastain is vying for a second term against Cynthia Parr.
East Cobb’s legislative delegation, which typically doesn’t generate much general election competition, has it this year.
One State Senate race and five State House races will be determined on Tuesday as well.
Early voting has been at a record pace in Cobb and Georgia. Cobb government said Monday that the nearly 135,000 people who have voted early make up around 27 percent of al the registered voters in the county.
There is the threat of stormy weather Tuesday, and rain could last for most of the day.
Cobb government said late this afternoon that:
“If voting is delayed due to weather, the Elections Office will ask a judge to extend voting past 7 pm for the length of time they had to shut down.”
We will post more about this as weather updates become available during the day.
East Cobb News will provide continuing coverage all day and evening on Tuesday.
We’ll also be sending out a special election newsletter first thing Wednesday morning, since it figures to be a long night.
If you’d like to sign up, click the link below.
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A couple of notes as we wrap up our preview material for Tuesday’s voting:
There have been two East Cobb precinct changes to keep in mind.
The Bells Ferry 3 precinct that had been located at Noonday Baptist Church on Canton Road has moved right across the road, to the church’s East campus, located at 4120 Canton Road.
The Timber Ridge polling station has moved away from Timber Ridge Elementary School and is now at the Catholic Church of St. Ann, seen at right (4905 Roswell Road), for what Cobb Elections said were due to security concerns at the school.
Classes are not in session on Tuesday because of the elections. It will be a staff learning day instead.
If you’re not sure where your precinct is located, you can check at the Georgia Secretary of State website here.
All precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. There is no early voting on Monday.
Cobb Elections also has issued sample ballots to see what names and ballot issues will be awaiting you when you head to the polls. Here’s the consolidated ballot for all voters in the county, and here’s a link to get the names you’ll be seeing on your personalized ballot.
As we noted yesterday, early voting that ended Friday was up dramatically from the 2014 midterms, with nearly 112,000 ballots already cast in Cobb in person. Nearly 23,000 more voters have cast absentee ballots.
In addition to a close Georgia governor’s race, local voters will have full slates on most of their ballots. That includes East Cobb, where 10 races are being contested, including 6th District Congress, District 3 of the Cobb Board of Commissioners, two Cobb school board seats, a State Senate seat and five State House seats.
Please visit our East Cobb Elections Guide link below for full previews of those races and other voting information.
If we missed anything or you spot a correction that needs to be made, e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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!
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.
This is the week for East Cobb advance voting, and you’ll have more than one place to cast your ballot in person before the Nov. 6 election day.
As we noted last week, Cobb Elections is opening additional venues for advance voting due to high turnout.
In addition to the usual location at the East Cobb Government Service Center (above, 4400 Lower Roswell Road), you’ll also be able to vote at Noonday Baptist Church (4120 Canton Road), and the East Cobb Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road).
Advance voting hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be no voting on Saturday, Nov. 4.
According to Cobb Elections, more than 26,000 people voted early in person, and more than 16,000 absentee ballots have been received. Those numbers don’t include those who voted yesterday.
We’re continuing our coverage of East Cobb races with our voters guide. It includes previews of all races in the community, from Congress to Cobb Commission to Cobb school board and Georgia State Senate.
In the coming week, we’ll have profiles of candidates running for the Georgia House and take a look at state and local ballot issues.
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!
Advance voting starts on Monday in Cobb County, with the main Cobb Elections office (736 Whitlock Ave.) and Jim Miller Park Event Center (2245 Callaway Road) open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, through Nov. 2.
You can also vote there on Saturday, Oct. 20, and Saturday, Oct. 27, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The week before the Nov. 6 general election, early voting expands to several venues in the county, including three in East Cobb.
In addition to the previously announced location at the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road), advance voting also will take place at Noonday Baptist Church (4120 Canton Road) and the East Cobb Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road, pictured above).
The dates are Oct. 29-Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. There’s no advance voting on Saturday, Nov. 3, or Monday, Nov. 6.
Cobb Elections is looking for poll workers for the Nov. 6 general election. Visit the website for more information.
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The voting precinct at Eastside Baptist Church. The final hours of primary voting Tuesday were soggy, as a late afternoon rain storm swept through East Cobb. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
UPDATED, 11:30 P.M.:
Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell has fended off a challenge from Tom Cheek to win the Republican primary in District 3.
Birrell received 5,422 votes, or 58.48 percent, to 3,850 votes for Cheek, or 41.52 percent.
That’s with 98 percent of the vote, as tabulated by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office at 11:09 p.m.
In November, Birrell will face Caroline Holko, a first-time candidate, who easily won the Democratic primary. Holko received 5,643 votes, or 80.69 percent, to 1,350 votes for Jim Smith, or 19.31 percent.
Birrell, first elected in 2010, ran on a platform of opposing tax increases, helping spur redevelopment of the Canton Road corridor and working to establish Mabry Park.
Cheek, a critic of former commission chairman Tim Lee for his handling of the Atlanta Braves stadium deal, campaigned for SPLOST reform, reduced county spending and limiting high-density development.
Holko is a home-schooling mother and liberal political advocate who supports greater transit options in Cobb. She also is opposed to cuts for Cobb libraries and senior services. Smith is a retired Cobb-Marietta water system employee who pushed for greater salary increases for county employees.
Disrict 3 includes some of Northeast Cobb, as well as the Town Center and Kennesaw areas and much of the city of Marietta.
Final results in two contested East Cobb-area legislative races are incomplete as of 11:30 p.m., as is the Democratic primary for the 6th Congressional District race, which may be going to a runoff.
In the Democratic primary for the 6th Congressional District, Lucy McBath has 37 percent of the vote, Kevin Abel 33 percent, Bobby Kaple 24 percent and Steven Knight Griffin 5 percent.
But that’s only the advance voting totals and a few precincts reporting in a district that includes East Cobb, North Fulton and North DeKalb. The winner will face U.S. Rep. Karen Handel, a Republican, in November.
There also are only very early results in House District 44, where State Rep. Don Parsons, a Republican, was being challenged by Homer Crothers in GOP balloting.
Parsons had 2,835 votes, or 79.36 percent, to 742 for Crothers, or 20.74 percent. The winner faces Democrat Chinita Allen in November.
In State House District 37, Marietta activist Mary Frances Williams had 1,938 votes, or 70.27 percent, in the Democratic primary. Trailing were Ragin Edwards with 501 votes, or 18.17 percent, and Bill Bolton with 319 votes, or 11.57 percent.
The winner faces Republican incumbent Sam Teasley in November.
More coverage is coming on Wednesday, once the final results are in, as is a detailed look at the District 3 voting.
In Cobb commission District 1 in north and west Cobb, Republican incumbent Bob Weatherford is headed for a runoff against Kelli Gambrill.
In the governor’s race, former Georgia House Minority leader Stacey Abrams easily won the Democratic nomination over Cobb former State Rep. Stacey Evans, by a 76-24 percent margin.
Abrams becomes the first woman to become a major party nominee for Georgia governor, and the first African-American woman nationwide to win a major party nomination for governor.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp appear headed for a runoff in the Republican primary on July 24.
Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell has pulled away from challenger Tom Cheek in the Republican Party primary for District 3, which includes some of Northeast Cobb.
With 87 percent of precincts reporting, she has received 4,909 votes, or 58.61 percent of the vote. Cheek has 3,466 votes, or 41.39 percent.
Caroline Holko is easily winning the Democratic primary with 4,981 votes, or 80.52 percent, to 1,205 votes for Jim Smith, for 19.48 percent.
UPDATED, 9:56 P.M.
Nearly half the vote has been counted in the Cobb Commission District 3 elections.
With 44 percent of precincts reporting, incumbent JoAnn Birrell’s lead in the GOP primary has shrunk only slightly. She has 3,077 votes, or 58.76 percent, to 2,160 votes for Tom Cheek, or 41.24 percent.
Caroline Holko continues to lead easily in the Democratic primary. She has 3,002 votes, or 79.97 percent, to 752 votes for Jim Smith, or 20.03 percent.
UPDATED, 8:53 P.M.
The first results from local Cobb races are being reported. In Cobb Commission District 3, incumbent JoAnn Birrell leads Tom Cheek 60 percent-40 percent in the Republican primary.
Birrell has 761 votes to 496 for Cheek in advance voting totals.
On the Democratic side, Caroline Holko leads James Smith 80-20 percent, or 686 to 168 votes.
UPDATED, 7:36 P.M.
Some advance and absentee voting results are rolling in for statewide offices. Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp are the early leaders in the Republican primary for governor, while Stacey Abrams is leading Stacey Evans on the Democratic side.
ORIGINAL REPORT, POSTED AT 7:01 P.M.:
East Cobb voters went to the polls today to choose party nominees for a variety of offices, including Cobb Commission District 3, the 6th Congressional District, several legislative races and as well as governor and other statewide offices.
The most closely watched race in East Cobb is District 3 on the Cobb Commission, where Republican incumbent JoAnn Birrell is being challenged by Tom Cheek in the GOP primary. The winner will face the winner of the Democratic primary between Jim Smith and Caroline Holko.
A Democratic runoff for the 6th Congressional District seat is possible, with Kevin Abel, Steven Knight Griffin, Bobby Kaple and Lucy McBath vying to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Karen Handel in November.
State Rep. Sharon Cooper, a Republican, was being challenged in the primary by Kevin James, but he was disqualified on Friday.
Voters also chose from a number of non-partisan candidates for various state and local judgeships.
A Republican runoff in the governor’s race is likely, with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp leading in some late polls. On the Democratic side, former state House minority leader Stacey Abrams of Atlanta was leading former State Rep. Stacey Evans of Cobb.
Other races included lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and state labor, insurance, agriculture and public service commissioners, as well as state school superintendent.
Democrats were also voting on straw poll questions on gun bump stock sales, Medicaid expansion, transit funding and an independent redistricting commission.
Turnout was projected to be less than 20 percent across Cobb County.
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!
One more week remains until the May 22 primaries, and East Cobb advance voting will take place during that week.
Any eligible voters can vote Monday-Friday, May 14-18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road). The same hours and dates are also in effect for other advance voting locations, and you’re free to vote there also, regardless of where you live:
South Cobb Community Center, 620 Lions Club Drive, Mableton;
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Less than a month remains before local, federal and state primary elections, and Cobb Elections is looking for individuals to work at the polls for the May primaries and beyond.
Advance voting begins on Monday at the Cobb Elections office in Marietta. The East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) will have advance voting the week of May 14-18.
According to Cobb Elections supervisor Janine Eveler, there are 144 precincts that will be in operation on May 22, the formal primary election day. Any runoffs will take place on July 24, and the general elections are Nov. 6.
Here’s more from her about how to apply to be a poll worker and how much you’ll be paid, including required training.
If you want to vote before May 22 or before the East Cobb advance voting week, you’ll have to go the Cobb Elections office (West Park Government Center, 736 Whitlock Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday-Friday between April 30 and May 18.
In addition, there will be Saturday advance voting on May 12 at the same location, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, call Cobb Elections at 770-528-2581.
In case you missed it, here’s the Cobb consolidated ballot for the primaries, as well as customizable ballots for your precinct.
And here are the primary and general election candidates who’ve qualified in East Cobb races, from U.S. Congress, Georgia governor and other statewide positions to legislative, county commissioner, school board and county judgeships.
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Voters in the May 22 primaries in Georgia can now get a sneak preview of whom they’ll be voting for. Countywide, consolidated Cobb sample ballots (Republican, Democratic and non-partisan) have been released by the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration.
If you request a Democratic ballot, you will find four non-binding questions added by the Democratic Party of Georgia to gauge the mood of party voters. They include whether they approve of the following:
requiring the sale of bump stocks on firearms;
support expansion of state Medicaid funding;
allow for the creation of an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission;
investing “a substantial amount” of tax dollars on mass transit.
Just a week remains for those who haven’t registered to vote to do so. The deadline to sign up online or in person is next Tuesday, April 24. Absentee balloting also is underway. To request a ballot, visit the Cobb Elections website or get more information by calling 770-528-2581.
The Cobb Republican Women’s Club is continuing candidate forums this week for a number of state, local and federal races (previous East Cobb Newspost here).
On Tuesday, the session includes candidates in several East Cobb-area legislative races. On Wednesday, the forums will include the contested GOP primary for District 3 of the Cobb Board of Commissioners between incumbent JoAnn Birrell and challenger Tom Cheek.
The forums last from 7-9 p.m. each evening in the Cobb Board of Commissioners 2nd floor meeting room, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta. TV coverage will be provided by Channel 23, the Cobb government cable access channel (on Comcast), as well as livestreaming at cobbcounty.org.
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A handful of East Cobb voters are eligible to cast a ballot in next Tuesday’s Georgia State Senate special election runoff. Early voting continues through this week for the District 6 race between Democrats Jaha Howard and Jon Jordan.
The voting location through Friday for this race is the Cobb Elections main office, 736 Whitlock Ave., Marietta. The hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
District 6 covers some of Cobb, Buckhead and Sandy Springs, and includes a portion of the Powers Ferry Road corridor in East Cobb. The seat was vacated by Republican Hunter Hill, who is running for Georgia governor.
There is no early voting on Monday. On Tuesday, District 6 voters in the Terrell Mill 1 precinct will be able to vote at Eastvalley Elementary School, 2570 Lower Roswell Road.
In the Nov. 7 jungle primary, Jordan, an Atlanta attorney, got 5,860 votes, or 24 percent. Howard, a Vinings dentist, got 5,398 votes, or 22 percent.
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A Georgia State Senate seat that includes a small part of East Cobb is heading for a runoff, and two Democrats remain.
Jen Jordan, an Atlanta attorney, got 5,860 votes, or 24 percent, in the special election “jungle” primary in District 6. In the Dec. 5 runoff, she will face Jaha Howard, a Vinings dentist, who got 5,398 votes, or 22 percent.
Their all-Democratic runoff means the Republicans will lose a seat in the Senate. Incumbent Hunter Hill resigned from the long-held GOP seat, which covers some of Cobb, Buckhead and Sandy Springs, to run for governor.
The East Cobb portion of the district includes an area along Powers Ferry Road. In voting in that precinct, Terrell Mill 1 (Eastvalley Elementary School), Howard got 55 votes (52 percent) to 36 for Jordan (34 percent).
There were municipal elections Tuesday in Austell, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs and Smyrna, and a few of those races will have runoffs.
Those Dec. 5 runoffs will wind down a busy and dramatic election year that featured the nationally-watched 6th Congressional District special election won by Republican Karen Handel over Democrat Jon Ossoff.
East Cobb voters also elected a new state senator in Kay Kirkpatrick, a Republican and retired orthopedic surgeon, who succeeds Judson Hill. He ran for Congress and is contemplating a bid for Georgia Insurance Commissioner in 2018.
That will be one of many elections on the ballot next year, as statewide and legislative offices will be decided, in addition to Congressional seats and some state and local judgeships.
There will be a contested election for the District 3 Cobb Board of Commissioners seat in Northeast Cobb held by JoAnn Birrell. Tom Cheek, a civic activist who filed a lawsuit last year against Cobb County and filed an ethics complaint against former Chairman Tim Lee over the Atlanta Braves stadium vote, has announced his intention to run in the Republican primary.
Two East Cobb posts on the Cobb Board of Education will also be on the ballot. They are currently held by Republicans Scott Sweeney of Post 6 (Walton and Wheeler high school districts) and David Chastain of Post 4, which includes the Kell and Sprayberry districts.
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Because of Tuesday’s elections, Cobb schools will be closed for classroom and other extracurricular events.
The Cobb County School District calls this a “student holiday,” and it will also be a professional learning day for teachers and staff.
Municipal elections are taking place across Georgia, including Marietta (whose schools will be open) and other Cobb cities.
There also is a special election being decided on Tuesday to fill a Georgia State Senate seat that includes a small portion of East Cobb. Here is a sample ballot for that race, which includes five Republicans and three Democrats.
A portion of the Powers Ferry Road corridor, below Terrell Mill Road, is located in the State Senate 6 district. That seat has been vacated by Hunter Hill, who is running for Georgia governor.
The candidates are Republicans Leah Aldridge, Matt Bentley, Kathy Eichenblatt, Charlie Fiveash and Leo Smith and Democrats Jaha Howard, Jen Jordan and Taos Wynn.
The district (map) includes most of Smyrna and the Cumberland area of Cobb and portions of Buckhead and Sandy Springs.
East Cobb’s Eastvalley Elementary School (2570 Lower Roswell Road), will serve as a polling station in the Terrell Mill 1 precinct for the state senate race. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Turnout is expected to be light.
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Several municipalities and a special election to fill a vacant Georgia State Senate seat are on the Cobb 2017 elections ballot. The deadline to register is next Tuesday, Oct. 10 for the Nov. 7 elections.
The elections include the Ward 7 race in the City of Marietta, which contains a sliver of East Cobb. A portion of the Powers Ferry Road corridor, below Terrell Mill Road, is located in the State Senate 6 district. That seat has been vacated by Hunter Hill, who is running for Georgia governor.
East Cobb also contains some of Marietta’s Ward 6, but that election was cancelled because only one candidate, current council member Michelle Cooper Kelly, qualified to run. Here’s the full notice of cancellation, including East Cobb-area precincts that will not be open on Nov. 7.
Here’s a list of qualified candidates in running in Marietta municipal elections.
Voters already registered and who live in those areas don’t have to do anything. Those wishing to sign up who haven’t done so can complete the process by clicking the Georgia Secretary of State’s website.
Other Cobb cities with elections include Austell, Kennesaw, Powder Springs and Smyrna.
There are no Cobb, state or federal elections this year for East Cobb voters, aside from the special state senate election.
Sweeney ran strong in most East Cobb precincts where he lives, but Davis got most of her votes in the Smyrna and Vinings area that is her home.
None of them won on Tuesday, but they did make entrenched Republican incumbents, some of whom see little competition, campaign more than usual.
