East Cobb voters who got a substantial new look on their ballots for Georgia State Senate races in 2022 elections will get another one in 2024.
The Georgia General Assembly on Tuesday adopted legislative maps that likely ensure Republican control and would substantially alter East Cobb’s representation in the upper chamber.
After passing the Senate on Friday, the Senate maps were approved Tuesday by the House. Likewise, the Senate passed State House maps that left the East Cobb area relatively unchanged.
The legislature is in a special session to redraw state and Congressional boundaries after a federal judge declared the 2021 maps violate the U.S. Voting Rights Act.
The Georgia legislature has had Republican majorities since 2005. Currently the GOP has a 102-78 advantage in the House, and a 33-23 majority in the Senate.
Lawmakers were ordered to create a majority-black Congressional district in the western part of metro Atlanta be created, as well as several majority-black legislative districts in the Atlanta and Macon areas.
The East Cobb area had been largely represented in the Senate with one seat, District 32. But after the 2021 Census, legislators redrew the East Cobb area to include District 32, District 56 and District 6.
For the 2023 session, those incumbents were Republicans Kay Kirkpatrick and John Albers and Democrat Jason Esteves, respectively.
The new lines would remove District 6 and place some of East Cobb District 33, which stretches from Powder Springs and through the city of Marietta
That’s represented by Democrat Michael “Doc” Rhett, who represented a smaller part of the East Cobb area until reapportionment.
The maps that were approved were proposed by Republican leaders, who claimed the new boundaries met the judge’s order.
Democrats disagreed, and some complained that the new maps unfairly placed incumbent Democrats in the same district.
One of those situations is in the Smyrna area, where Cobb legislative delegation chairwoman Teri Anulewicz and Doug Stoner were redrawn into District 35.
After the maps are signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, they will be submitted to the federal court for final review.
Legislators also must finish Congressional redistricting by Friday. Maps proposed by GOP leaders would also change East Cobb representation, putting most of the area in District 11 and taking out District 6.
Democrats are threatening legal action at what they say is gerrymandering, including 6th District candidate and current Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson.
“These maps are an affront to the idea of fair representation and fly in the face of the judge’s order to the state,” she said.
Related:
- Proposed Congressional map would redraw East Cobb lines
- Ga. special legislative session to redraw electoral maps
- McCormick closes district office due to ‘serious threats’
- Richardson advisor declares intent for Cobb Commission campaign
- Ga. redistricting maps thrown out; special session called
- East Cobb News Politics & Elections page
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