Two Democrats declare plans to oust Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor

Brunessa Drayton, the former outreach coordinator for U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, has officially declared her candidacy for Cobb Superior Court Clerk, challenging the incumbent Connie Taylor in the upcoming election. Drayton, who previously led the office of Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, joins Nick Simpson as the second Democrat vying to unseat Taylor, who was sworn in as clerk in 2021.

In 2020, Simpson finished third in the Democratic primary and later endorsed Taylor in the runoff. Like Drayton, Simpson recently launched his campaign for the 2024 contest against Taylor.

As she announced her plans to run, Drayton emphasized her focus on bringing detail-oriented leadership, integrity, and transparency to the clerk’s office. With experience in both government and the Cobb County Public Library System, Drayton highlighted her ability to make government work for the community, citing her involvement in coordinating the county’s COVID-19 response and developing policy initiatives.

The current backlog in document filing by the clerk’s office has been a point of contention, leading to calls for Taylor’s resignation from a Marietta City Councilwoman, Cheryl Ricardson and calls for accountability from Superior Court Judge Rob Leonard. Sworn in as the clerk in 2021, Taylor has faced controversy over her retention of approximately $425,000 in passport fees, leading to questions about the ethics of such actions.

Drayton expressed uncertainty about the backlog’s status by the time the 2024 election rolls around, but emphasized the need for the clerk’s office to address problems now rather than create them.

Simpson says he would turn down the passport fees assigned to the clerk, while Drayton stated she would work with the community to determine the best use of passport fees to empower community engagement with the clerk’s office.

Drayton, who resides in Powder Springs, has a bachelor’s degree in government and Spanish from Western Kentucky University and a master’s of public administration from Kennesaw State University. She also earned a certification in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University.

Simpson, who resides in Acworth, is a former chief operating officer of the Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s office. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University and a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.