Cobb Judge Hill rejects County request to defend illegal Cupid electoral map

In a sharp rebuke, Cobb Superior Court Judge Kelly Hill did not mince words when she refused Cobb County and Chairwoman Lisa Cupid’s efforts to overturn her ruling against Cobb’s illegal electoral map.

In July, Hill ordered a redo of the primary elections for County Commission Districts 2 and 4. Rather than accept the court’s decision, Cupid has continued to pour taxpayer dollars into a futile challenge to Hill’s ruling. Latest estimates suggest millions have already been spent on the losing efforts by Cupid to challenge the map drawn by the General Assembly and instead install and defend the illegal map she put in place in 2022.

While lawyers in the case were critical of Cupid and Cobb at the heating, Hill maintained the high ground on this ruling but also raised concerns saying, “I don’t want to use the term disingenuous, but I do find it hard to believe that the county could not have foreseen or predicted the outcome that resulted in this case.”

In a moment beneath contempt, Cupid’s County attorneys argued that Judge Hill’s order placed a significant burden on the county, citing the estimated $1.5 million cost for off-cycle primary, runoff, and general elections for Commission Districts 2 and 4. They conveniently ignored the millions of dollars in taxpayer money that have already been squandered by Cupid due to her illegal map.

Critics argue that this waste of resources reflects Cupid’s arrogance and incompetence. Though trained as a lawyer, Cupid has never practiced law, instead using her degree to mislead voters into believing she is qualified to lead. Throughout her tenure, Cupid has spent taxpayer money on consultants to compensate for her lack of expertise and has made poor decisions around many decisions we will not soon forget such as challenging the Mayors of Cobb cities on the service delivery strategy (SDS) agreements, Dobbins Air Force Base fiasco that threatened the county’s major economic engine, land deal swaps, proposed stormwater taxes, and much more. Whether the failed attempt to create her own map in 2022 was the result of poor advice from her consultants or her own misguided initiative, it is the taxpayers who are left bearing the cost of Cupid’s misjudgments.

Judge Hill’s ruling means that the general election for County Commission Districts 2 and 4 will now be held in 2025, allowing citizens in both parts of Cobb, including plaintiff Alicia Adams, to run for the seats after being unfairly blocked by the illegal Cupid Map. This is another cost of millions that Cupid has placed on the backs of taxpayers.

Adams’ lawsuit, which challenged her disqualification from running under the county’s “Cupid” map, prompted Hill’s decision. Despite Hill’s clear ruling, Cupid and the county sought a reconsideration, which Hill flatly rejected. Attorneys for Plaintiff Adams labeled Cupid and the county’s actions as ongoing stall tactics to avoid the “natural consequences” of their flawed map.

As Chair, Cupid has led a series of reckless decisions that have cost Cobb County millions, all while failing to acknowledge her mistakes. Her refusal to accept responsibility has left taxpayers frustrated and demanding an end to her costly misadventures. Cobb County voters are unlikely to forget this debacle come November.

Many have had enough of one bone headed decision after another made by Cupid that has cost millions and left them on the hook for her nonsensical decisions.

In her losing effort, Cobb attorney Elizabeth Monyak argued that Hill’s ruling was unlawful, and that Cupid and the County did not intervene earlier because they did not believe the judge would rule the way she did. Judge Hill rejected that argument and denied attempts by Cupid to have her ruling reconsidered. Plaintiff attorney Boring, accused Cupid and the county of delaying and dragging out the resolution of the district map controversy that they started with the illegal Cupid Map. 

Under Judge Hill’s ruling, the general election for County Commission Districts 2 and 4 seats will be held in 2025 and many Cobb citizens in these two districts, including Plaintiff Adams, will finally be able to run for the seats after being illegally denied and blocked by the Cupid Map. 

BACKGROUND

Last month, Judge Hill ordered the Board of Elections to redo the primary elections for County Commission Districts 2 and 4 after she ruled that the county’s “Cupid” electoral map was ruled unconstitutional. Hill’s legal decision came after a local citizen, Alicia Adams, a potential candidate for District 2, sued because she was denied the ability to run for one of the Commission seats. The Cobb Election Board used the Cupid map to remove Adams after she qualified to run for the office as a Republican candidate. Similarly, citizens wanting to run on the Democratic ticket were also blocked by the Cupid map, but it was Adam’s lawsuit that forced the ruling and forced the County to see the error of its ways after Judge Hill sided with plaintiff Adams.

Not to be outdone by a court ruling, and unwilling to accept Hill’s decision, Cupid and the county tried to intervene in the case as they sought a reconsideration from the court. Hill flatly rejected this request and sided with attorneys who criticized the county’s latest stall tactics. Although Cupid and the county were not involved in the initial legal case after Plaintiff Adams sued, Cupid waited until after Hill’s ruling to ask the court to reconsider the ruling.

Attorneys claimed Cupid and the County were trying to avoid the “natural consequences” of its actions. Board of Elections attorney, Daniel White, said “This is just the natural consequences of the ‘home rule map’ experiment.” White went on to say, “To me, it just seems like they don’t want to take their medicine.” Attorney for plaintiff Adams, Chuck Boring, also criticized the county, saying, “I feel like the county is playing childish games. It’s absurd that the county waited this long.” Both accused Cupid and the county of delaying and dragging out the resolution of the district map controversy that they started. 

In 2022, Cupid led the Cobb County Commission’s Democratic majority to redraw electoral lines they preferred after state legislators drew sitting Commissioner Jerica Richardson. Although the state legislature is the only entity that has redistricting powers, Cupid and the Cobb attorney claimed Home Rule power in an attempt to overrule the state and create the Cupid Map.

It was a failing effort when she launched it in 2022, and now after millions of dollars have been spent on this losing effort, many wonder if Cupid will finally admit that she was wrong and stop spending taxpayer money on this losing venture that has played out with all angry taxpayers and voters watching. 

As in any legal matter, Cupid and the county could try to appeal, but will they?