A well-known local attorney has decided to run against DeKalb Superior Court Chief Judge Courtney Johnson, setting up what could be one of several contentious battles to unseat an incumbent. Two of three DeKalb commissioners up for re-election also have opponents who qualified for the May 22 election.
Every seat in the General Assembly will also be on the ballot with many DeKalb incumbents facing opposition.
Genet Hopewell is a partner at the Johnson Hopewell Coleman law firm who has also sat as a judge in DeKalb's recorder's, magistrate and juvenile courts. She said she is decided to run against Johnson after growing concerned about the judge's decision-making during the trial of former CEO Burrell Ellis, whose conviction was overturned, and later when a defense attorney in another case accused Johnson of misconduct.
“DeKalb has had a lot of negative light shined on it for a variety of reasons, and the Superior Court bench should not be one of them,” Hopewell said.
Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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There are also six candidates vying for the seat of retiring Superior Court Judge Dan Coursey. They are: Tunde Akinyele, Gina Bernard, Roderick Bridges, Kirby Clements Jr., Latisha Dear-Jackson and Nicholas Smith. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote in any race, runoffs will be held in July.
Superior Court Judge Asha Jackson, State Court Judges Johnny Panos and Alvin Wong and DeKalb Commissioner Jeff Rader are all running unopposed.
Not so for commissioners Larry Johnson and Greg Adams, who together with Rader represent the three seats out of seven on the commission up for re-election in 2018. Commissioners serve four-year terms.
Felton Wright, retired AT&T employee, said he decided to run against Johnson to bring focus on quality of life issues like reducing crime, litter and blight.
Johnson, who was elected unopposed in 2014, said he plans to run on a message of experience and leadership while pointing out improvements in District 3 such as a new senior center and library.
Adams won a 2016 special election by besting out eight other candidates. Now seeking his first full term, he has competition from three others for District 7 that represents the eastern half of DeKalb. Among them is Ed Williams who became active in politics while opposing the creation of Greenhaven and other cityhood efforts.
Williams said he decided to run for office after commissioners took as surprise vote and raised their salaries by 60 percent.
“It signaled that they were really out of touch with everyday residents,” Williams said.
Other District 7 candidates are Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, whose career has been in publishing and media, and John Tolbert Jr., who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2016.
“I do believe, after paying careful attention to the voting patterns of our current commissioners, that there is room for a new seat at the table,” Cochran-Johnson said.
Tolbert finished in sixth place two years ago. He said he wants to improve access for people who don’t feel like they have a voice in government.
“I’m running again because I still feel like if you’re not in the political clique in DeKalb County its going to be very difficult to get things done,” he said.
Adams said he can point to progress made under his watch, such as helping get the SPLOST sales tax approved by voters and a new animal shelter in Chamblee.
“My approach to this election is the fact that since I’ve been elected I’ve been working hard for the constituents in DeKalb,” he said.
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