Voters in Georgia will be going to the polls on June 9. Here is a look at some of the key contested races in metro Atlanta. Voters can cast ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Residents should contact their local elections office if they have any questions about the complete ballot, or how and where to vote.
Visit ajc.com for the AJC’s comprehensive election coverage and results on election night.
Clayton County
Elections office
Jonesboro Historical Courthouse, Main floor
121 South McDonough Street
Jonesboro, GA 30236
(770) 477-3372
https://www.claytoncountyga.gov
The race for Clayton commissioner for District 3 is the hot contest in the south metro Atlanta county this June.
Four people are vying to unseat District 3 Commissioner Felicia Franklin Warner, including Robert Williams, Timothy Vondell Jefferson, Jodie Chambers and Gerrian Hawes.
The race is one of several contests where incumbents, such as Clayton Board of Education Chairwoman Jessie Goree, have competition for their positions. Other incumbents in competitive races are District 2 County Commissioner Gail Hambrick, District 2 school board member Judy Johnson and District 6 school board member Mary Baker.
Probate Court Judge: Pamela P. Ferguson (I), Christopher Walker
Tax Commissioner: Terry L. Baskin (I), Ashley Wright
Chief Magistrate Judge: Wanda L. Dallas (I), Keisha Wright Hill
County Commission, District 2: Gail Hambrick (I), Robb Leatherwood and Robert Johnson
County Commission, District 3: Felicia Franklin Warner (I), Robert Williams, Gerrian Savelle Hawes, Timothy Vondell Jefferson and Jodie Chambers $618.19
Board of Education, District 3: Jessie Goree (I), Conquella Essex
Board of Education, District 6: Charlton L. Bivins, Barbara Pulliam, Mary L. Baker (I)
Board of Education, District 7: Chasity Latrice Thornhill, Judy Johnson (I), Sabrina Hill
State Court Judge: Linda Sharpe Cowen (I) Leslie Miller Terry
Cobb County
Elections office
736 Whitlock Ave NW #400
Marietta, GA 30064
(770) 528-2581
https://www.cobbcounty.org/elections
Several major electoral races are playing out in Cobb County, including the race for commission chairman and sheriff, as well as two county commission seats.
The pandemic and its impact on the county budget is likely to dominate the chairman’s race, which pits incumbent Mike Boyce against several Republican challengers in the June primary: Larry Savage and Ricci Mason.
Whoever wins the primary will face off against Lisa Cupid, currently the south Cobb commissioner representing District 4 and the only Democratic running for commission chair.
County Commissioner, District 4: The race to fill Cupid's vacated seat in District 4 has attracted no fewer than seven candidates, all of them Democrats: Monica DeLancy; Shelia Edwards; Elliot Hennington; Jonathan Hunt; Edwin Mendez; Angelia Pressley; and Monique Sheffield.
District 4 includes some of the more diverse and lower income areas of the county, and in the past housing and redevelopment have been key issues there. The district is also home to a burgeoning cityhood movement in Mableton, another topic that will likely come up in the race.
County Commissioner, District 2: Three Republicans will compete in the primary: Fitz Johnson, Kevin Nicholas and Andy Smith. Jerica Richardson is the only Democrat running for the seat.
Sheriff: Incumbent Sheriff Neil Warren is running unopposed in the Republican primary. But on the Democratic side, three candidates are competing to challenge him in the general election: Gregory Gilstrap, James Herndon and Craig Owens.
The Sheriff’s race will likely touch on conditions at the jail, where at least seven inmates have died over the past year and a half, as well as an ethics investigation targeting Warren that is currently pending.
DeKalb County
Elections office
4380 Memorial Drive #300
Decatur, GA 30032
(404) 298-4020
https://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/
DeKalb County voters will weigh in on a number of key local races in June — including two separate sheriff’s races.
The first will be a nonpartisan special election to complete the unfinished term of former Sheriff Jeffrey Mann, who resigned late last year amid uncertainty over his law enforcement certification following his 2017 arrest in Piedmont Park. The ultimate winner of the nine-way special election – which will likely lead to a runoff between the top two vote-getters – will serve as sheriff only until the end of the year.
Candidates include sitting Sheriff Melody Maddox and several other longtime local law enforcement officers: Geraldine Champion, Harold Dennis, Adam Gardner, Ted Golden, Antonio “Block” Johnson, Kyle Keith Jones, Carl Mobley and Ruth “The Truth” Stringer.
Stinger previously served 40 days as DeKalb’s interim sheriff while Mann served a suspension.
County commission, District 1: Five Democrats have lined up to compete for a spot in November's District 1 race – when the winner will take on incumbent Nancy Jester, the commission's lone Republican, to represent the northern DeKalb district.
Democratic District 1 candidates include social worker Breeanna Bellinger; former Doraville City Council members MD Naser and Robert Patrick; consultant Ben Truman; and retired entrepreneur Cynthia Yaxon.
County Commission Super District 6: Three Democrats are vying to replace retiring Commissioner Kathie Gannon. They include Maryam Ahmad, Emily Halevy, and Ted Terry .
There are no Republican candidates for the seat, which represents the western half of DeKalb County.
Four of the DeKalb County Board of Education’s seven seats are up for grabs during this year’s election, including two where the incumbents already had announced plans not to seek re-election.
Board of education, District 1: The race for Stan Jester's District 1 seat includes A nna Hill and Andrew Zi ffer .
Board of education, District 3: Michael Erwin's District 3 seat includes four residents vying to replace him. Kevin Alexander, David Manuel, Willie R. Mosley Jr., and Deidre Pierce.
Board of education, District 5: Board vice-chairwoman Vickie B. Turner faces three opponents looking to unseat her. Delores Brinkley, Zehline Davis, and Willie Heard Jr.
Other races
Tax Commissioner: Irvin Johnson (I), Roslyn Allison McCaskill.
Superior Court judge: Roderick Bridges, Aaron Chausmer, Vincent C. Crawford, Yolanda C. Park-Smith and Melinda "Mindy" Pillow – are vying to fill the seat vacated by Judge Chuck Seeliger.
Fayette County
Elections office
Stonewall Administrative Complex
140 Stonewall Avenue West, Suite 208
Fayetteville, GA 30214
Telephone: (770) 305-5408
https://fayettecountyga.gov/elections/
Fayette County residents will vote on several offices in the upcoming June primaries, including whether to stick with its current sheriff, members of its county commission and its school board.
Incumbent County Commissioner Charles Oddo, a Republican who represents Fayette’s fifth district, has the most opponents. Republicans Ann Wittenberg and William Yarde are on the ballot to oppose him as is Democrat William Lightle.
Fayette Sheriff Barry Babb is on the ballot representing Republicans for his job while opponent Chris Pigors represents Democrats.
Other contests:
County Commission, District 1: Republicans, Sonja Gibson, Eric Maxwell (I). Democrat, Vickie Butler
County Commission, District 2: Lee Hearn, Randy Ognio (I, chairman).
Board of Education, District 1: Republican Randy Hough, Democrat Candice Aaron
Board of Education, District 3: Scott Hollowell (I), Marion Key, Cornelius Sullivan Jr.
Board of Education, District 5: Brian Anderson (I), Mike Krehbiel
Magistrate Judge, District 1: Christy Dunkelberger (I), Pamela Patterson
Magistrate Judge, District 2: Sheila S. Huddleston, Kathy Brown Valencia (I)
Magistrate Judge, District 4: Natalie Ashman, James A. White (I)
Fulton County
Elections office
130 Peachtree St SW
Suite 2186
Atlanta, GA 30303
Main: (404) 612-7020
http://www.co.fulton.ga.us
Fulton County voters are asked to take a brief break this summer from managing the pandemic to select who will manage their county, schools, courts and tax dollars.
Residents can pick who represents their even-numbered county commission districts. All three incumbent commissioners from across the county face challengers. In the contest to represent southside District 6, incumbent Joe Carn faces fellow Democrat, Khadijah Abdur-Rahman. They were two of the nine who ran less than a year ago for the seat left open by the death of longtime county commissioner Emma Darnell.
One of the two contested non-partisan school board contests is an open race without an incumbent. The occupant of the District 4 seat, current school board vice president Linda Bryant, led the board through the controversial exit of a superintendent popular among many parents in southern Fulton, which Bryant represented.
County Commission, District 2: Republican, Bob Ellis (I). Democrat, Justin Holsomback.
County Commission, District 4: Democrats, Kathryn Flowers and Natalie Hall (I). Republican, Barbara Gresham.
County Commission, District 6: Democrats,Khadijah Abdur-Rahman and Joe Carn (I).
Board of Education, District 3: Gail Dean (I) and Jimmy Glenn.
Board of Education, District 4: Willie Davis, Jr., Franchesca Warren and Sandra Wright.
Gwinnett County
Elections office
Gwinnett Justice & Administration Center
75 Langley Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
(678) 226-7210
https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/
With four high-ranking officials not seeking re-election in Gwinnett County, there’s a guarantee that there will be new faces in leadership, regardless of who wins.
Charlotte Nash, the county commission chairman who was elected in 2011 after her predecessor resigned in disgrace, has served as a steady hand, restoring trust in government and solidifying the county’s financial footing through the recession. But the Republican, who had also been the county administrator for nearly a decade, decided it was time to step away.
Two more Republican county commissioners have also decided not to seek reelection, as has longtime Republican Sheriff Butch Conway. And nearly every seat up for election this year is contested.
The positions:
Gwinnett Commission Chairman: Republicans George Awuku, Marcia Neaton, David Post. Democrats Nicole Love Hendrickson, Andy Morgan, Desmond Nembhard, Curt Thompson, Lee Thompson Jr.,
Gwinnett Commission District 1: Republicans Laurie McClain, Jacqueline Tseng. Democrat Kirkland Carden.
Gwinnett Commission District 3: Republicans Ben Archer, Matt DeReimer, Kim Walker. Democrats Roger Marmol, John Moye, Justin Walsh, Jasper Watkins, Derrick Wilson.
Sheriff: Republicans Lou Solis, Keith VanNus. Democrats Curtis Clemons, Keybo Taylor, Floyd Scott, Ben Haynes.
District attorney: Republican Danny Porter, (i). Democrats Patsy Austin-Gatson, Wesley "Wes" Person.
Tax commissioner: Republican Richard Steele (i). Democrats Regina Carden, Maureen McIvor, Tiffany Porter.
Superior Court Judge: Nonpartisan Tamela Adkins, Randy Rich (i)
Superior Court Judge: Nonpartisan Deborah R. Fluker, Kelly Kautz, Christa Kirk, B.T. Parker, Kathryn "Kathy" Schrader (i)
Gwinnett Board of Education District 1: Republican Carole Boyce (i). Democrats Segun Adeyina, Karen Watkins.
Gwinnett Board of Education District 3: Republican Mary Kay Murphy (i). Democrat Tanisha Banks.
Gwinnett Board of Education District 5: Democrats Tarece Johnson, Louise Radloff (i)
Henry County
Elections office
40 Atlanta St.
McDonough, GA 30253
https://www.co.henry.ga.us/us
Ten people are hoping to fill the shoes of Keith McBrayer, who is retiring at the end of the year as Henry County Sheriff.
In the running are Republicans Willie Brown, Jack Redlinger and Kenneth Lee and Democrats Tony Brown, Marion Calhoun, Curtis Farmer, Gazzara Ricardo Hill, Brian McGee,
Reginald Scandrett and Eric Wilson.
The race joins the contest between incumbent Henry County Commission Chairwoman June Wood and challenger Carlotta Harrell as the most watched competitions this election cycle in the south metro community because of its changing demographics.
Once a solidly white at about 81 percent white in 1980, Henry is around 50 percent minority these days. That has been reflected in the change last year to a majority black county commission.
Other races in the June primary include:
County Commission, District 2: Democrats, Dee Clemmons (I), Devlin Cleveland, Tina Marie Coria. Republican, Steve Richardson.
Clerk of Superior Court: Democrats, Sabriya Hill, Vanessa Thomas. Republican, Barbara Harrison.
Coroner: Democrats, Donald Cleveland (I), Joe Mack Eckler.
Board of Education, District 1: Pam Nutt (I), John Dewberry Jr.
Board of Education, District 2: Josh Hinton (I), Makenzie McDaniel, Sharon McMeans-Lukiri, Gewel Richardson
Board of Education, District 3: Holly Carter Cobb (I), Deborah Sykes
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