Cobb County stays blue as Democrats maintain county commission majority

Cobb County isn’t a bellwether, but its shifts from suburban GOP bastion to Democratic stronghold over the past decade have helped reshape Georgia’s political landscape. And Tuesday’s special election gave Democrats plenty of reason to cheer.

It’s tricky to read too deeply into low-turnout elections like the vote for two county commission seats last night. But Republican leaders entered the evening so confident they’d flip at least one that several sent laudatory quotes to use in case of victory.

Instead, Democrats swept both seats, maintaining control of the five-member commission. Former state Rep. Erick Allen captured an open seat, while Monique Sheffield fended off a strong GOP challenger.

The results deprived Republicans of a beachhead in a suburb they once dominated. Cobb was home base for a long list of big-time GOP figures, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and the late U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson.

But Cobb shifted decisively in 2016, when presidential contender Hillary Clinton became the first Democrat to win the county in decades. Four years later, Lisa Cupid’s election as chair formed Cobb’s first majority-Black, Democratic-controlled commission.

Since then, Republicans have struggled to make new inroads. Party leaders saw Tuesday as a potential turning point. Yet, Democrats were correctly predicting a watershed moment of their own ahead of 2026 midterms.

“With such a convincing win, it shows that we didn’t win with just Democrats,” Allen said in his victory speech. “We won because we had a message that resonated with people from Cobb County no matter what.”

Things to know

Good morning! Gov. Brian Kemp has 14 days left to either sign or veto bills passed by the state Legislature this year. He’s signed 20 bills into law so far and hasn’t vetoed anything yet.

Here are three things to know for today:

Poll results

Credit: Jose Luis Magana/AP

Credit: Jose Luis Magana/AP

The AJC is out with its latest poll of Georgia voters, and the results for President Donald Trump aren’t great.

Most Georgians — 55% — say they disapprove of the president’s performance, while 43% say he’s doing well. Nearly half of voters, 49%, say they “strongly disapprove.”

The poll is in line with a series of national polls released this week showing Trump’s approval rating in the tank. But as Greg Bluestein writes this morning, it’s not far off from his ratings in previous AJC polls and it didn’t stop him from carrying Georgia in November.

More highlights:

The University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs conducted the poll of 1,000 registered voters between April 15-24. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

We’ll have much more about the poll later this week, including a peek at Georgia’s 2026 U.S. Senate race.

She’s back

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Kamala Harris — remember her? — will return to the national stage today with her first major speech since losing the presidential election to Donald Trump.

The former vice president is set to give the keynote address to Emerge America, a group that trains Democratic women to run for office. Politico reports she will give a “sharp critique” of the Trump administration.

It’s a big moment for the former vice president as she charts her political future — one that could put her on a path few failed presidential candidates have ever tried.

Harris is said to be considering a run for governor of California in 2026, replacing the term-limited Gavin Newsom who could have presidential ambitions of his own.

While lots of governors have gone on to be president, none in modern times have claimed a state’s top job after losing a presidential election. (Thomas Dewey was reelected governor of New York after his failed presidential bids in the 1940s, but it was an office he already held.)

While governor would be a demotion from vice president, California isn’t like most states. It’s annual gross domestic product recently surpassed Japan, meaning only China and Germany have larger economies (aside from the U.S.).

Mama endorsement

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Vote Mama, which bills itself as the nation’s first and only PAC focused on electing Democratic moms, is backing three 2026 candidates in Georgia.

Vote Mama started in 2019 by Liuba Grechen Shirley, who made history when the Federal Election Commission allowed her to use campaign funds for child care during her unsuccessful bid for a New York congressional seat in 2018. In 2023, the State Ethics Commission voted to let Georgia candidates do the same thing.

Vote Mama’s biggest donor is philanthropist Melinda French Gates. Pivotal Ventures, founded by Gates, gave $600,000 to the group during the last election cycle.

Of the three endorsed Georgia candidates, only Dugan is not an incumbent. She also ran against state Rep. Carter Barret, R-Cumming, in 2024 and lost by 35 percentage points.

5 more years

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

There’s more than one way to graduate from high school in Georgia. A new law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp aims to keep it that way.

House Bill 217 extends a popular alternative graduation program for another five years. The Dual Achievement Program lets students enroll in a technical college to complete their high school coursework. Once they’re finished, they not only have a degree but also a technical certificate that can help them get a job right away.

About 2,000 students have participated in the program over the past four years. But it’s still a pilot program available at only five of the state’s 22 technical colleges.

“We’re trying to fast-forward this program into something we can duplicate throughout the state,” state Rep. Chuck Martin, a Republican from Alpharetta, said during a legislative hearing last month.

Defend the police

Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

President Donald Trump is wading into the politics of policing with a new executive order aimed at defending law enforcement.

Trump this week ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to help defend police officers “who unjustly incur expenses and liabilities” for their actions on the job. Specifically, Trump wants her “to create a mechanism to provide legal resources and indemnification to law enforcement officers.”

Interestingly, Trump also wants Bondi to “include the use of private-sector pro bono assistance” from law firms. Trump has targeted big law firms that have either investigated him or represented his political opponents. Several firms have reached deals with Trump to avoid those penalties, including performing various pro bono work for causes Trump supports.

Listen up

Today on “Politically Georgia,” Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy delve into the latest AJC poll with University of Georgia pollster Trey Hood.

Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.

You can listen and subscribe to the show for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Today in Washington

Credit: Brynn Anderson/AP

Credit: Brynn Anderson/AP

Happenings:

Shoutouts

Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.

Before you go

Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times

Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times

The single largest contribution from Georgia to President Donald Trump’s inaugural fund didn’t come from Coca-Cola or Delta — but Anthony Pratt, executive global chairman of a Georgia-based paper recycling and packaging products company.

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.