Tuesday’s primary election in Cobb County has set the stage for two new commissioners to be elected in April — albeit after a special runoff election in one of the races.
Cobb was forced to hold the special elections after a protracted legal dispute over County Commission district lines that ultimately caused a do-over of last year’s election because the districts drawn by county officials were deemed unconstitutional. The races on ballots Tuesday were for commission seats in District 2 and District 4.
Incumbent commissioner Monique Sheffield captured about 72% of the vote to defeat attorney Yashica Marshall in the District 4 Democratic primary, according to unofficial results. She will take on Republican challenger Matthew Hardwick, an engineer who received 71% of the vote in his victory over business owner Julien Grhas.
The District 2 Democratic primary resulted in a runoff, where former Georgia Rep. Erick Allen, a consultant, and Jaha V. Howard, a dentist, will square off on March 11 to see who advances in the heavily blue district. On the Republican side, Alicia Adams ran unopposed and will face the winner.
The District 2 seat came open when incumbent Jerica Richardson’s home was drawn out of the district by the state Legislature in 2022 — the issue that led to the legal battle over district lines.
The special election follows Cobb County Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill’s ruling that last year’s primaries had to be redone, concluding that the county-drawn electoral map used was unconstitutional. This year’s special election is being held using a map drawn by the Georgia Legislature.
State lawmakers are typically understood to have redistricting authority, but the county drew its own map, arguing that home rule powers in the state constitution allowed them to do so.
Tate Fall, Cobb’s elections director, said last month that the entire cost for the special election cycle could be just over $1.5 million.
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