Cobb EMC incumbent concedes election

By Janel Davis

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kennesaw businessman and incumbent Cobb EMC director RJ Patel conceded the race for his board seat Monday evening eliminating a need for a runoff next month and advancing four new members to lead the utility.

Patel had been headed for a runoff Dec. 3 against printing business owner Charles Malcolm Swanson, for one of four seats up for election last Saturday. Swanson received more than three times the votes Patel received, but fell just under the needed majority in the six-way race.

Several EMC members, including plaintiffs who sued the utility for questionable business practices in 2007, had urged Patel to concede to save the utility money. Cobb EMC spent about $160,000 for the Nov. 12 election, according to EMC spokesman Sam Kelly, and similar expenses would have been incurred for the runoff.

“As I reflect on Saturday’s results there is an obvious and clear message. There are many people out there who do trust me because they know me and there are those that have been convinced to believe that I should not be trusted,” Patel said in a statement released Monday.

Patel went on to say his decision was made to allow the EMC staff to go Christmas shopping on Dec. 3 instead of having to work the election, and to save money if turnout would be low.

About 1.4 percent, or 2,471 of Cobb EMC’s 173,000 members voted in Saturday’s election which was the first of three rounds of elections for all 10 seats on the electric utility’s board. The next two elections are scheduled for Feb. 18 and May 12.