Former Acworth city councilman Bob Weatherford had a huge lead in the District 1 Cobb County commission race against Democrat Derrick Crump Tuesday night, with nearly all of the county’s 145 precincts reporting.

Weatherford and Crump were vying to replace Helen Goreham, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Weatherford, a former marine and police officer, said public safety would be a top priority – a significant promise in a county where funding for police has lagged for several years. Weatherford also said he would be an advocate for smart growth that creates jobs, and would work to “ensure the Braves move to Cobb is a success.”

The Braves will begin play in a new stadium in the Cumberland Mall area in 2017.

Weatherford qualified for the general election by defeating former long-time commission chairman Bill Byrne in a July run-off election.