Gabe Okoye chortled.
It was the end of the March candidate qualifying period, and Okoye — the chairman of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party — had been asked a simple enough question. Was it a regular occurrence, at least in recent history, for his party to have a primary election in a race for the Board of Commissioners?
Was it normal for more than one qualified Democrat to, in the same year, express real interest in trying to join the governing body of Gwinnett, a longtime Republican stronghold?
Again: Chortle. Not common at all.
Such a primary will be held May 22, though, with Democratic voters in two different Gwinnett commission districts getting the chance to go to the polls. And whichever candidates win will have the chance to make history in more ways than one come November.
Gwinnett’s Board of Commissioners has not had a Democratic member in 32 years and, even in one of the most diverse counties in the Southeast, it’s never had non-white member. Each of the candidates for districts 2 and 4 would have the chance to break those streaks.
DISTRICT 2 (Peachtree Corners, Lilburn and Norcross areas)
Ben Ku vs. Desmond Nembhard
Ben Ku, a software engineer and business owner, and Desmond Nembhard, a restaurateur, square off for the right to take on Republican incumbent Lynette Howard.
Ku, the 36-year-old grandson of Chinese immigrants, grew up in metro Atlanta and moved to Gwinnett County in 2014. Nembhard, 46, was born and raised in Jamaica before going to college in New Jersey. He moved to Gwinnett in 2008.
The men have similar platforms — pro-transit, pro-law enforcement, pro-diversity and fresh opinions — but the specifics differ slightly.
Ku said that, when it comes to transit expansion, the county needs “short-term, iterative approaches with a long-term vision.” He said he would support Gwinnett’s current transit plan because it was “better than nothing,” but that better solutions may be out there.
“There’s things we can do in the short term that they’re not doing,” Ku said. “The bus systems are not what they could be. And there’s no need to put all of our eggs in this one big basket of a plan, and if it doesn’t get funded there’s no back up plan.”
Nembhard, who has run the Kingston 30 restaurant near Lawrenceville for 10 years, called the recent public meetings on Gwinnett’s proposed transit plan a “Band-Aid roadshow.” He too called for expanded bus routes within the county and doesn’t think the four- or five-mile stretch of heavy rail included in the plan is enough.
“They’re talking about a bus rapid transit system,” Nembhard said. “To me, it’s a waste of money. We need a long-term solution. Not something temporary.”
Ku, who is active with his homeowner’s association, is also campaigning on his technology background and its potential for helping the county’s communication with its residents.
“I know how to create technology, and create solutions,” he said.
Nembhard, meanwhile, touted his own business acumen and hardworking nature. He opened his restaurant at the start of the Great Recession and not only survived but thrived, he said. He plans to open a second location in the coming months.
DISTRICT 4 (Lawrenceville and Buford areas)
Marlene Fosque vs. Greg McKeithen
Marlene Fosque, who retired from Aetna insurance last year after more than two decades, and Greg McKeithen, a local attorney, will vie for the right to take on Republican incumbent John Heard.
Fosque, a 55-year-old political newcomer, said she is pro-transit but has questions about the county’s current plan and the potential role of The ATL, the regional transportation agency created by recent legislation. She pointed to a need for more connectivity within Gwinnett, not just from the county to Atlanta.
Fosque has also campaigned heavily on the need to better leverage technology to keep the county's residents informed; on increasing affordable housing options; and more diverse representation on government boards and commissions.
“One of the things when I talk about diversification, I’m not just talking about ethnicities,” Fosque said. ” … I would like to see diferent genders and different ages.”
McKeithen is a defense attorney and former prosecutor. He has previously run, unsuccessfully, to be Gwinnett's solicitor general and for a spot on its superior court bench.
He did not participate in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution despite repeated emails and phone messages.
In other Gwinnett news:
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