The race to replace Atlanta City Councilman Ivory Lee Young appeared headed for a runoff in Tuesday’s election while voters in Snellville and Lawrenceville approved Sunday brunch bills, according to early results from an array of races and referendums held across metro Atlanta.
Nine people were vying to fill the remainder of Young’s term to represent communities next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium near downtown Atlanta. Young, a four-term member of the Atlanta City Council, died in November after a battle with cancer.
Filling Young’s seat was one of several ballot questions in metro Atlanta on Tuesday, including a Clayton County schools SPLOST vote, a public transit collaboration between MARTA and Gwinnett County, and a new Cherokee County commissioner.
Though the availability of results varied, here’s how the election was shaping up:
Cherokee County
None of the four candidates hoping to replace Bob Kovacs as District 3 County Commissioner reached more than 50 percent of the vote in early results Tuesday, suggesting the race could end in a runoff April 16.
Kovacs, a vice president with construction giant Skanska USA Building, stepped down in December because of increased work responsibilities.
Clayton County
With 99 percent of the vote counted, Clayton voters appeared to overwhelmingly approve a new SPLOST for the county’s schools. The SPLOST will raise $280 million for schools over five years. The money will be used to build new schools, replace old buses, update HVAC systems, and provide funds for an early learning system for preschoolers not in pre-K programs.
Fulton County
Incumbent Hapeville Alderman-at-Large Michael Rast retained his seat with 87 percent of the vote after defeating opponent Rod Mack on Tuesday. Rast, a member of Hapeville’s governing body between 1993 and 2001, returned to the Council in 2017 when former Gov. Nathan Deal appointed him interim alderman after the conviction of former councilwoman Ruth Barr.
Gwinnett County
Real estate investment adviser Tod Warner defeated Antonio Molina, chief operating officer for medical practice Consultorio Medico Hispano, for an open seat on the Snellville City Council on Tuesday. The seat came open after former Snellville City Councilwoman Barbara Bender became mayor in January.
Snellville and Lawrenceville residents approved brunch bills allowing Sunday alcohol sales at restaurants to begin at 11 a.m. Such sales will begin April 9.
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