DeKalb County voter guide for Tuesday’s primary election
DeKalb County's primary election Tuesday will have a broad impact, with many contests for powerful positions across county government.
Voters will decide on the county’s CEO, district attorney, county commissioners, sheriff, tax commissioner, judges and legislators.
Read The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s coverage of key county races:
- CEO candidates pledge to change county's direction
- DA candidates at odds over prosecutions, leadership
- DeKalb Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton targeted in key election
- Politically connected consultant challenges DeKalb Commissioner Kathie Gannon
- High-paid DeKalb tax collector job up for grabs
- Law enforcement officers compete for DeKalb sheriff
In addition, voters will consider whether to renew a penny sales tax for DeKalb schools. If approved, the funding could build and renovate schools to ease overcrowding, but critics of the proposal say the school system should have provided a list of specific projects that the tax would pay for.
Three DeKalb judges are locked in competitive races. State Court Judge Dax Lopez faces former Recorders Court Judge Roderick Bridges; Superior Court Judge Clarence Seeliger is opposed by attorney Stephone Johnson; and Superior Court Judge Gail Flake is seeking to retain her seat against former Recorders Court Judge Angela Brown.
Also, candidates are competing for several DeKalb seats in the Georgia General Assembly:
- Former DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones is trying to return to elected office. He faces businessman Charles Hill, retired educator David Neville and legal support consultant Rhonda Taylor in the Democratic primary for House District 91.
- Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Dunwoody, is being challenged by Vietnam veteran Tom Owens in the Republican primary for HD79.
- Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler, D-Lithonia, faces former Rep. Tonya Anderson and former Rep. Toney Collins in the Democratic primary for the state Senate District 43 seat held by Sen. JaNice Van Ness, R-Conyers.
- Attorney Catherine Bernard, longtime resident Alan Cole and attorney Meagan Hanson are running in the Republican primary for the state House District 80 seat held by Rep. Taylor Bennett, D-Brookhaven.
- Real estate broker Jim Duffie, business owner Lane Flynn and business owner Alexa Mendez Rourk are running in the Republican primary for the state House District 81 seat held by Rep. Scott Holcomb, D-Atlanta.
- Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, is being challenged by high school social studies teacher Brian Westlake in the Democratic primary for state House District 82.
- Rep. Rahn Mayo, D-Decatur, is opposed by medical sales manager Renitta Shannon in the Democratic primary for House District 84.
- Sen. Fran Millar, R-Atlanta, is in a race with financial adviser Paul Maner in the Republican primary for Senate District 40.
- Rep. Michele Henson, D-Stone Mountain, faces community volunteer Joscelyn O'Neil in the Democratic primary for House District 86.
- Rep. Earnest "Coach" Williams, D-Avondale Estates, is in a contest with community organizer Ivy Green in the Democratic primary for House District 87.
Additional resources:
- AJC Voter Guide from the League of Women Voters of Georgia
- Democratic primary sample ballot
- Republican primary sample ballot
About the Author
Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.
