Several Cobb political incumbents facing primary opposition

Qualifying for the 2024 primaries in Georgia ended Friday, and several incumbents in Cobb will be facing challengers in those May elections.

They include members of the U.S. House and Georgia legislature and countywide officials.

In East Cobb, there will be contested primaries for the Republican nomination for the 11th Congressional District as well as two state Senate seats.

In the 11th, GOP incumbent Barry Loudermilk is being opposed by Michael Pons of Woodstock and Lori Pesta, head of the Republican Women of Cherokee County.

The Democrats to qualify are Antonio Daza of Atlanta, whom Loudermilk easily defeated in the 2022 general election, and Woodstock attorney Katy Stamper.

Loudermilk, of Bartow County, has been in office since 2015. The 11th was redrawn by the Georgia legislature earlier this year under a court order, and includes most of East Cobb.

Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson on Friday qualified for the 6th Congressional District, which includes some of South Cobb, in a field of Democrats that 7th District incumbent Lucy McBath.

Although she lives in East Cobb, Richardson opted to run for Congress after sbe was redrawn out of her commission seat, and as a legal dispute over that action continues.

State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick of East Cobb has Republican opposition in District 32. Her challenger is Ben Fremer, a first-time candidate from Cherokee County.

In District 33, which includes some of the East Cobb area, longtime Democratic Sen. “Doc” Rhett will face Euriel Hemmerly of south Cobb, a member of the Cobb school board’s facilities and technology oversight committee, in the Democratic primary.

Rhett defeated her in the Democratic primary two years ago with 68 percent of the vote.

Five Cobb countywide office holders, all Democrats, also have primary opponents.

They include Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, a Democrat who is seeking a second term in that office.

On Friday, Shelia Edwards of South Cobb, who unsuccessfully tried to succeed Cupid as District 4 commissioner in 2022, qualified in the Democratic primary.

The sole Republican qualifier for chairwoman is realtor Kay Morgan of West Cobb.

Edwards, who lost to current District 4 incumbent Monique Sheffield in a Democratic runoff, is the publisher of a news site covering the South Cobb area, and has been highly critical of Cupid in that publication.

Sheffield is facing a challenge from Yashica Marshall, a former candidate for Mableton City Council.

Democratic District Attorney Flynn Broady is being challenged by Sonya Allen, an assistant prosecutor in Fulton County who lives in Cobb.

Greg Gilstrap, who has run unsuccessfully for Cobb Sheriff five previous times, qualified for the Democratic primary along with incumbent Craig Owens.

The Republican qualifiers are David Cavender, a Cobb police officer; Ricci Mason, a candidate for Cobb Commission Chair in 2020; and Antaney Hogan.

Cobb Tax Commissioner Carla Jackson, elected twice previously as a Republican, switched to the Democratic Party, and is facing opposition from Jan Becker, a former director in the tax commissioner’s office who retired in 2021.

Democratic incumbent Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor, who has come under fire for fire for personally pocketing passport fees far exceeding her salary, has drawn three primary opponents: Brunessa Drayton, a former aide to Cupid; Nick Simpson, a candidate for the clerk’s office in 2020; and Carole Melton, an assistant to Cobb Superior Court judges.

Deborah Dance, a former Cobb County Attorney currently serving as a member of the Cobb Planning Commission, qualified for Cobb Superior Court Clerk as a Republican.

No Republicans qualified for District Attorney or Tax Commissioner.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners qualifying was marked by controversy when two Democrats who attempted to qualify in District 2 were ruled ineligible due to residency issues.

Former Marietta City Council member Reggie Copeland and Don Barth, a resident of East Marietta, were told they did not live within the District 2 boundaries that are being observed by the Cobb Board of Elections.

The “home rule” maps approved by Commission Democrats are being challenged in court, with some of District 2 in the East Cobb area.

Five Democrats qualified. They include Kevin Redmon of East Cobb, a former Richardson community advisor; former Cobb school board member Jaha Howard; and former State Rep. Erick Allen, who as Cobb legislative delegation chairman drew the home rule maps.

A Cobb judge ruled the use of the home rule maps violates the Georgia Constitution since they were not approved by the legislature. But the county is appealing that to the Georgia Supreme Court, which will hold oral arguments on April 17.

Two Republicans have qualified in District 2: Pam Reardon, an East Cobb realtor and GOP activist, and Alicia Adams of the Cobb Republican Women’s Club.

There will be no contested primaries in four Cobb Board of Education races on the ballot this year, but three of them will be highly watched in the general election in November.

Those three offices are held by Republicans, who hold a 4-3 majority.

In Post 5 in East Cobb, the qualifiers are Democrat Laura Judge and Republican John Cristadoro, both Walton zone parents. The winner of that general election campaign will succeed retiring four-term GOP member David Banks.

In Post 7 in West Cobb, Republican Brad Wheeler has qualified to seek a third term, as has Democrat Andrew Cole, who has been a critic of GOP leadership on the school board.

In Post 1 in North Cobb, Republican chairman Randy Scamihorn also is seeking a third term, and his Democratic opponent once again is Vickie Benson, whom he defeated in 2020. She has been a teacher and is a technology entrepreneur.

Democratic incumbent Tre’ Hutchins of South Cobb was the only candidate to qualify in Post 3 and is seeking a second term.

In State House races, all incumbents with East Cobb districts qualified, but none will have primary opponents.

Democratic Rep. Mary Frances Williams (District 36), and GOP House members Don Parsons (44), Sharon Cooper (45) and John Carson (46) will have November general-election opponents.

Democratic Rep. Solomon Adesayna of District 43 was the only candidate of any party to qualify for that race.

In District 56, which includes some of East Cobb, Republican Sen. John Albers will face Democrat J.D. Jordan, a designer from Roswell, in the general election.

A separate post will detail the candidates who have qualified for non-partisan judicial races in Cobb County.

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