Contested DeKalb races
CEO: Joe Bembry, Jack Lovelace, Connie Stokes, Mike Thurmond
Commission District 4: Sharon Barnes Sutton, Steve Bradshaw, Lance Hammonds, Willie Willis
Commission District 6: Kathie Gannon, Warren Mosby
District Attorney: Sherry Boston, Robert James
Sheriff: Geraldine Champion, Harold Dennis, Ted Goldon, Kyle Jones, Jeff Mann, Michael Williams
Tax Commissioner: Irvin Johnson, Susannah Scott, Stan Watson
Superior Court Judge: Stephone Johnson, Clarence Seeliger
Superior Court Judge: Angela Brown, Gail Flake
State Court Judge: Roderick Bridges, Dax Lopez
Solicitor: Donna Coleman-Stribling, Nicole Marchand Golden
House District 79: Tom Owens, Tom Taylor
House District 80: Taylor Bennett, Catherine Bernard, Alan Cole, Meagan Hanson
House District 81: Jim Duffie, Lane Flynn, Scott Holcomb, Alexa Rourk
House District 82: Mary Margaret Oliver, Brian Westlake
House District 84: Rahn Mayo, Renitta Shannon
House District 86: Michele Henson, Joscelyn O'Neil
House District 87: Ivy Green, Earnest "Coach" Williams
House District 91: Carol Anuszczyk, Charles Hill, Vernon Jones, David Neville, Rhonda Taylor
Senate District 40: Tamara Johnson-Shealey, Paul Maner, Fran Millar
Senate District 42: Elena Parent, Kenneth Quarterman
Senate District 43: Tonya Anderson, Toney Collins, Dee Dawkins-Haigler, JaNice Van Ness
Senate District 55: Gloria Butler, Annette Davis Jackson
Upcoming coverage
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will preview key DeKalb County contests as the May 24 primary election approaches.
When to vote
Early voting is available weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Brookhaven City Hall, the Chamblee Civic Center, the Clark Harrison Building in Decatur, the Dunwoody Library, Berean Christian Church Community Center, the Stonecrest Library, South DeKalb Mall, the Tucker Recreation Center and the DeKalb Elections Office on Memorial Drive.
Saturday and Sunday voting is available this weekend at three locations each day.
For more information, visit dekalbvotes.com.
After all of DeKalb's scandals, criminal prosecutions and corruption investigations, the future of the county's government is in the hands of voters this month.
Will a disgusted electorate throw out county officials or stick with those they know to govern the county of 735,000 people?
The May 24 primary election will be pivotal for DeKalb, a county whose reputation has been dirtied over the years by a steady stream ethical failings and questionable decisions. Voters will decide on a lengthy slate of candidates, including the CEO, district attorney, county commissioners, judges and state legislators.
DeKalb leans heavily Democratic, meaning that countywide races will likely be decided in the primary election. Republicans in DeKalb rarely win countywide seats in the higher-turnout November general elections.
Despite widespread angst over DeKalb's governance, history shows that incumbents almost always win in DeKalb. Usually the only time elected officials leave is when they're indicted, resign or run for a different position.
The last time a county commissioner lost a contested race in DeKalb was in 1992, when Elaine Boyer defeated Jean Williams. Boyer didn't leave until she pleaded guilty to defrauding taxpayers and taking kickbacks, resulting in a 14-month federal prison sentence.
“People are at a point now in the county that theyr’e saying something has got to give – you’ve got to have transparency and accountability,” said Liane Levetan, who was DeKalb’s CEO from 1993 to 2000.
Besides Boyer, more than 40 other county officials and employees have been found guilty in the last five years, including suspended CEO Burrell Ellis and former DeKalb schools Superintendent Crawford Lewis.
Incumbents don’t always win re-election in metro Atlanta counties. Voters tossed two commissioners in Clayton County in 2012 as a special grand jury was investigating corruption, and incumbents also lost in Cherokee, Cobb, Fayette, Forsyth and Gwinnett counties that year.
» FIND OUT MORE: Complete DeKalb election coverage
Voters want a change in DeKalb’s leadership, said Carrie King after attending a recent candidate debate at Salem Bible Church near Lithonia.
“Most of our leaders have been accused of wrongdoing, and we need someone with integrity who can stand up for us,” she said. “We may need some new blood.”
The CEO's race is at the top of the ballot, and there's no incumbent. Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May, who replaced Ellis almost three years ago, decided against running for a full term.
The leading candidates are former DeKalb schools Superintendent Michael Thurmond and former DeKalb Commissioner Connie Stokes, both Democrats. Joe Bembry, a perennial candidate, is also running as a Democrat, and the winner of the primary will face Republican Jack Lovelace in November.
“This is a critical time in the history of DeKalb,” said Juanita Baranco, who co-owns Baranco Automotive and lives in Lithonia. “There’s so much going on with national elections, and sometimes people forget that local elections are equally or more important.”
An ongoing debate in the county’s crisis of confidence has involved the role of its chief prosecutor.
District Attorney Robert James has won convictions in key corruption cases, but some constituents think he hasn’t gone far enough to remove white-collar crooks, while others say he’s been overzealous.
His opponent, Solicitor-General Sherry Boston, questions James’ moral authority after he admitted overspending his travel meal allowance and failing to file required campaign finance disclosures. James repaid the meal money and paid a fine for the campaign finance violations.
“The most important thing people want is honest, ethical leadership, so I don’t think it’s about any specific policy issues. We just want to have a government that we can trust,” said Marjorie Snook, president of the citizen group DeKalb Strong, which is seeking more effective government and recently hosted a campaign forum.
The balance of power on the DeKalb Board of Commissioners is in play as well in the primary election. The commission is evenly divided between two factions, roughly split over northside and southside interests.
Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton, who represents the area around Stone Mountain, is being challenged by Army veteran Steve Bradshaw and sales manager Lance Hammonds.
Commissioner Kathie Gannon, whose super district covers the western half of the county, will face political consultant Warren Mosby.
The tax commissioner's race also is one to watch since former Commissioner Stan Watson stepped down in March to run for the seat against current Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson and Susannah Scott, an attorney and daughter of two elected officials.
In addition, three incumbent judges face primary contests, and state House and Senate seats across the county are in play.
“Voters really want a change, and it’s important that they begin to pick people who are paying attention to the community,” said John Evans, president of the DeKalb NAACP and a former county commissioner. “The county’s reputation has to be changed, and the only thing that will change it is the people in office.”
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