The two hopefuls for the open Post 5 seat on the Cobb Board of Education don’t have opponents in the upcoming primaries, but they’re picking up endorsements.
Last week the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Action Fund endorsed Democrat Laura Judge as part of a slate of endorsements in metro Atlanta school board and county commission races.
And on Tuesday, Republican John Cristadoro announced he had received the endorsement of Educators First, a teachers’ organization.
Post 5, which includes the Walton and Pope and some of the Wheeler attendance zones, is being vacated by four-term Republican David Banks.
According to its website, the SPLC Action Fund “is focused on lifting up communities of color, particularly in the Deep South, who face systemic oppression, poverty and structural racism. To overcome these injustices, the organization is committed to reimagining the political, economic and social systems that sustain them to create a world where all people can thrive. ”
Judge, a Walton-area parent, noted in a social media posting that she got the endorsement “on a day that I spoke out at the school board meeting for a student in my Post who had to deal with racial discrimination in one of our schools.
“I will continue to advocate for the safety of our students, stand up against hate within our district, and empower our community to use their voice.”
Judge also has received endorsements from Cobb school board member Becky Sayler of Post 2 in Smyrna, Democratic State Rep. Lisa Campbell of Cobb, the Georgia Working Families Party, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and the 3.14 Action Fund, which supports Democratic female candidates with science backgrounds.
Educators First represents professional teachers as an alternative to older organizations such as the Georgia Association of Educators.
Educators First says it offers “all the advantages of a traditional union, but without the high costs and partisan politics.”
Based in Kennesaw, Educators First was founded in 2011 and its CEO and co-founder is John Adams, a former Cobb County School District deputy superintendent.
“I am honored to have received the Educators First endorsement,” Cristadoro said in a statement Tuesday. “Educators First’s endorsement in my campaign clearly demonstrates the wide appeal and local grassroots support of our campaign.”
According to his latest campaign disclosure report in February, Cristadoro has raised more than $33,000 and has more than $28,000 in cash on hand.
Judge also filed a financial disclosure report in February listing more than $18,000 in contributions and more than $2,000 in cash on hand.
Related:
- Cobb advance voting in 2024 primaries to start Monday
- Cobb Elections Board disqualifies commission candidate
- Cobb political incumbents facing primary opposition
- Cobb school board Post 5 candidates qualify
- Cobb Elections to use disputed maps in primary qualifying
- Cobb Elections sends out incorrect absentee ballots
- Georgia sample ballots released for 2024 presidential primaries
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