Candidates qualify to run for Cobb County elected office 

The call issued by SPOTLIGHT a few weeks ago, urging citizens to step forward and make a difference in the community by running for public office, has seen several individuals respond. The qualifying period began Monday and ended Friday at noon, with Shelia Edwards, the Publisher of Spotlight South Cobb News, officially becoming a candidate for the position of Chair of Cobb County Government.

In addition to the race for Chair of Cobb County Government, there are other notable races that citizens should watch. In the race for Commissioner for District 4, Attorney Yashica Marshall has stepped forward to challenge the incumbent, who has faced criticism for negative decisions impacting Cobb citizens, the Six Flags area, and Dobbins Air Force Base.

Another race voters should pay attention to is the District 2 Commission race, featuring seven candidates (six Democrats and one Republican) vying to replace the current commissioner. This position has been frequently in the news after Cobb government created a home rule map over the map approved by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp. Two candidates were negatively impacted this week because of the election offices’ usage of the home rule map. They include former Marietta City Councilman Reggie Copeland and Marietta resident Donald Barth. Each were blocked from qualifying for the position. The home rule map lists them as being in District 3. The state map lists them in District 2, which would allow them to qualify and run for the office. Republicans rejected the elections board’s directive and qualified their candidates using the state map. The threat of a legal challenge has been made by a State Representative for usage of the home rule map. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger issued a strongly worded statement rebuking Cobb for using their own map. Meanwhile, the incumbent, Jerica Richardson, who was negatively impacted by the state drawn map that drew her out of her district, is running for Congress.

The race for Clerk of Superior Court has also garnered attention, with several candidates running to unseat the incumbent. Candidates for this office include Democrats Brunessa Drayton, Carole Melton, and Nick Simpson, as well as Republican Deborah Dance.

As these candidates enter the political arena, the outcomes of these races will have a significant impact on the local community. Cobb voters are encouraged to become aware of each race and the candidates offering themselves in service to the community as they prepare to vote in the Primary Election.

U.S. Congress District 6
Lucy McBath (D) (I)
Mandisha Ann-Marie Thomas (D)
Jerica Richardson (D)
Jeff Criswell (R)

U.S. Congress District 11
Antonio Daza (D)
Katy “Kate” Stamper (D)
Barry Loudermilk (R) (I)
Mike Pons (R)
Lori Pesta (R)

U.S. Congress District 14
Joseph Leigh (D)
Shawn Harris (D)
Clarence Blalock (D)
Deric Houston (D)
Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) (I)

State Senate District 28
Donzella James (D) (I) 
Terracia Tee Wilkinson (D)

State Senate District 32
Kay Kirkpatrick (R) (I)
Ben Fremer (R)

State Senate District 33
Michael Doc Rhett (D) (I)
Euriel Hemmerly (D)

State Senate District 35
Jason Esteves (D) (I)

State Senate District 37
Vanessa Ella Parker (D)
Sadia Ali (D)
Ed Setzler (R) (I)

State Senate District 56
JD Jordan (D)
John Albers (R) (I)

State House District 19
RJ Coyle (D)
Joseph Gullett (R) (I)

District 22 James “JL” Shade (D)
Jordan Ridley (R) (I)
Paul G. Kettering (R)

State House District 34
Devan Seabaugh (R) (I)
Karl Gallegos (D)

State House District 35
Lisa Gayle Campbell (D) (I)
Gary Chaffee (R)

State House District 36
James Francis Ryner (D)
Steven Lang (D)
Ginny Ehrhart (R) (I)

State House District 37
Mary Frances Williams (D) (I)
Shea Taylor (R)

State House District 38
David Lawrence Wilkerson (D) (I)
Martine Claude Maignan (D)

State House District 39
Terry Alexis Cummings (D) (I)

State House District 41
Michael Smith (D) (I)
Andrea Smith (R) 

State House District 42
Gabriel Sanchez (D)
Teri Anulewicz (D) (I) 
Diane Jackson (R)

State House District 43
Solomon Adesanya (D) (I)

State House District 44
Don L. Parsons (R) (I)
Danielle Bell (D)

State House District 45
Eric Castater (D)
Sharon Cooper (R) (I)

State House District 46
Michael Garza (D)
John Carson (R) (I)

State House District 60
Diane Clair (D)
Sheila Jones (D) (I)
Charles Squires (D)
Cathy Henson (R)

State House District 61
De’Lonn Brown (D)
Mekyah McQueen (D)

Cobb County District Attorney
Flynn Broady Jr. (D) (I)
Sonya Allen (D)

Cobb County Sheriff
Sheriff Gregory B. Gilstrap (D)
Craig D. Owens, Sr. (D) (I)
David Cavender (R)
Antaney Hogan (R)
Ricci Mason (R)

Cobb County Tax Commissioner
Jan Becker (D)
Carla Jackson (D) (I)

Surveyor 
No candidates qualified 

Clerk of Cobb Superior Court
Brunessa Elizabeth Drayton (D)
Nick Simpson (D)
Connie Taylor (D) (I)
Carole Melton (D)
Deborah Dance (R)

Clerk of Cobb State Court
Tahnicia Phillips (D)
Robin C. Bishop (R) (I)

Chief Magistrate
Judge Brendan F. Murphy (I)

Cobb Superior Court Judges
Angela Z. Brown Angela Z. Brown (I)
Kimberly A. Childs Kimberly A. Childs (I) 
Kellie S. Hill (I)
Julie Jacobs (I)
Sylvia Goldman
Jason D. Marbutt (I)
Greg Poole Greg Poole (I)
Vic Reynolds (I)
Henry Thompson (I)

Cobb State Court Judge
Post 1 Allison Barnes Salter (I) 
Post 2 Maria B. Golick (I)
Post 3 John Morgan (I) 
Post 4 Jane P. Manning (I) 
Post 6 Diana M. Simmons (I) 
Post 7 Carl W. Bowers (I) 
Matt McMaster
Crystal Stevens McElrath

Cobb State Court Judge, Division II
Post 2 Marsha Lake (I)
Post 3 Jaret Usher (I)

Probate Court
Judge Kelli L. Wolk (I) 
Rebecca Keaton

Board of Commissioners – Chair
Lisa N. Cupid (D) (I)
Shelia Edwards (D)
Kay Morgan (R)

Board of Commissioners – District 2
Erick E. Allen (D)
Will Costa (D)
Jaha V. Howard (D)
Kevin Redmon (D)
Taniesha Whorton (D)
Pamela Reardon (R)
Alicia Adams (R)

Board of Commissioners – District 4
Monique Sheffield (D) (I)
Yashica Marshall (D)

Cobb County School Board – Post 1
Randall Allen Scamihorn (R) (I)
Vickie H. W. Benson (D)

Cobb County School Board- Post 3
Leroy Tre’ Hutchins (D) (I)

Cobb County School Board – Post 5
John Cristadoro (R)
Laura Judge (D)

Cobb County School Board – Post 7
Andrew Cole (D)
Bradford Jay Wheeler (R) (I)

Kennesaw Special Election City Council At Large Post 5
Anthony Gutierrez
Beatrice Torralba Shakal
Jason Acree
Ben Day
Sara Torres