U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk and local legislators are the hosts of a fundraiser next week for three Republicans running for the Cobb Board of Education.
According to a “Cobb County School Board Town Hall Newsletter” sent out Monday by GOP school board member David Chastain, the event, dubbed “Keeping Cobb Schools Strong,” will take place Monday, June 10, at the 1885 Grill (4975 North Main Street, Acworth) from 6:30-8 p.m.
The host committee includes State Sens. Kay Kirkpatrick and John Albers (who have East Cobb constituencies) and Ed Setzler, as well as State Reps. Ginny Ehrhart and Devan Seabaugh.
Chastain is not up for re-election, but the other three school board seats held by Republicans are. The GOP has held a 4-3 majority since 2019 as partisan antagonisms have grown on a number of issues.
That includes Post 5 in East Cobb, where four-term incumbent David Banks is retiring from office. The lone Republican to qualify for the Nov. 8 election is Walton cluster parent John Cristadoro.
Cristadoro will face Democrat Laura Judge, also a Walton parent. Both are first-time candidates and declared their intent to run last spring.
In the May 21 primary, in which they were both unopposed, Cristadoro received 6,369 votes to 5,262 for Judge.
Until the 2018 elections, Republicans held a firm grip on local control in Cobb County government and the school board (6-1 majority) as well as the Cobb legislative delegation.
But the school board is all the GOP controls today.
Monday’s e-mail message from Chastain (from a Google e-mail address outside of the Cobb school district and referencing his Post 4 in Northeast Cobb) alluded to what’s at stake.
Cristadoro appeared in a short video thanking supporters for campaign contributions and noting the legislators who will be in attendance, especially Loudermilk, whose 11th District includes East Cobb.
“We’re bringing out the big guns,” Cristadoro said. “Why? They truly believe, as do I, of the importance of our schools, and what the future holds for our youngsters. That needs to be protected.
“There are lots of outside influences, national groups, that are going to come in and push their political agenda. It’s already being seen.”
He didn’t specify the groups or what those issues might be (East Cobb News has left a message seeking comment), but similar charges were made in 2022 when Chastain defeated Democrat Catherine Pozniak in a bitter campaign.
Two GOP incumbents are seeking re-election. Chairman Randy Scamihorn of Post 1 in North Cobb is being opposed by Vickie Benson in a rematch from the 2020 election, and he received only 96 more votes in their unopposed primary.
Brad Wheeler of Post 7 in West Cobb had a close re-election in 2020. His foe is Democrat Andrew Cole, and in their unopposed primary, Cole 6,637 votes to 5,602 for Wheeler.
Cole is a member of the Cobb Community Care Coalition that is highly critical of the Republican majority and Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale.
Scamihorn, a former Cobb educator who is completing his third term, is pledging his commitment to “keeping our students safe” as well as “keeping inappropriate books out of schools.”
That’s a reference to several books that were removed from Cobb school libraries during the 2023-24 school year due to sexually explicit content.
Wheeler, also a former Cobb teacher, is touting the same priorities.
The only Democrat on the November ballot is Post 3 incumbent Tre’ Hutchins, who is unopposed and had no primary opposition.
In his e-mail Monday, Chastain said that “I urge you to support leaders who embody common sense and a steadfast commitment to our community’s well-being.”
For information and to RSVP contact KeepStrongSchools4Cobb@gmail.com.
Related:
- Primary results: DA defeated; Commission race heads to runoff
- Cobb redistricting lawsuit dismissed by Ga. Supreme Court
- Cobb commission candidates campaigning amid map confusion
- Cobb school board Post 5 candidates receive endorsements
- MORE: Visit the East Cobb News Politics & Elections Page
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