A movement is underway to make two judgeships and two clerk of court positions in Cobb County run in nonpartisan elections, drawing allegations from some Democrats that Republicans are trying to hold onto power as the county tilts more to the left.
State Rep. John Carson is the chief sponsor of four bills that would make the county's chief probate court judge, chief magistrate court judge and clerks of superior and state court qualify to run in nonpartisan races.
House Bills 284 and 285, pertaining to the judges, passed the lower chamber and are waiting debate in the Georgia Senate. For the clerk positions, House Bills 467 and 468, respectively, have passed a house subcommitte and are waiting to be heard by the entire chamber.
Carson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he brought forth the legislation at the request of Cobb Magistrate Court Judge Joyette Holmes, Chief Probate Court Judge Kelli Wolk, Clerk of Superior Court Rebecca Keaton and Clerk of State Court Angie Davis — all Republicans.
Superior Court and State Court judges run in nonpartisan races.
“We try to represent our constituents and represent the desires of our local officials,” Carson said.
Carson’s proposal has been met with mixed reaction from some Cobb state house members.
For Democratic State Rep. David Wilkerson of Powder Springs, the legislation is a reactive measure. While he supports the call for making court positions nonpartisan, Wilkerson said he voted against the bills because Republicans are seeing that having an "R" beside a candidates' name is now a "liability countywide."
If it’s good policy, he said, it should be applied to courts across the state, and not just introduced on a county-by-county basis.
“It seems like we are trying to save somebody’s job,” he said. “On the Republican side, a lot if it is driven by the fact that the county is changing.”
State Rep. Teri Anulewicz, a Democrat from Smyrna, said she voted in favor of the bills because she felt the change is "good policy." She said the county's judges have previously asked the state legislature to pass measures similar to what Carson has put forth.
“I’ve felt for years that those positions should be nonpartisan,” she said, adding judges in those courts handle issues such as wills and other matters that have no place in politics. Anulewicz, who served for 10 years on the Smyrna City Council, said citizens who appear before judges in both courts should not be concerned about that person’s political affiliations.
Cobb County Elections Director Janine Eveler said her office is watching the bills move through the General Assembly, and her office is “completely neutral” on the issue.
“It doesn’t really impact us,” she said.
Carson dismissed Wilkerson’s claims, adding that it was “typical rancor” on the Democratic side of the aisle. When asked if he’d support support a statewide measure Wilkerson called for, the legislator from Marietta said he wouldn’t want to impose rules on other citizens across Georgia.
Carson told the AJC his legislation will benefit Cobb residents, as probate court and magistrate court judges and clerks of state and superior courts “shouldn’t be Republican or Democrat.”
“You should be interpreting the law,” he said.
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