The announcement by District 2 Cobb County Commissioner Bob Ott that he won’t seek re-election this year further stirs the political pot in Georgia’s third largest county. While the Delta Air Line pilot’s east Cobb district is a Republican bastion, the rest of the county is up for grabs in November’s elections. Prime example: GOP Commission Chairman Mike Boyce faces a strong countywide challenge from District 4 Democrat Commissioner Lisa Cupid.
Remember that in 2016 Cobb Republicans were surprised when Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton carried the county over Donald Trump in the presidential race, and changing demographics played a large role. (Trump, however, carried Georgia by five points.)
The county’s population grew by .54 percent in 2018 according to the most recent U.S. Census, which counted 756,865 residents. It could be close to becoming a majority-minority county, as its black and Hispanic populations grow faster than its white population.
Whites remained a majority in 2017 at 52 percent, down from 57 percent in 2010, while the black population increased from 25 to 27 percent over the same time period and the Hispanic population grew from 12 to 13 percent. The three groupings total more than 92 percent of Cobb’s population.
This trend not only threatens Boyce’s re-election but that of other Republicans on the November ballot including longtime Sheriff Neil Warren. Bottom line: Which party can best turn out its Cobb base will decide the winners. (Republicans hope Trump heading the GOP ticket will boost their countywide chances during a good economic period. But, of course, no one knows who the Democrat presidential challenger will be.)
As for Ott’s District 2, his Planning Commission appointee Andy Smith announced he will seek the GOP nomination to replace him. Jerica Richardson, a businesswoman, author, entrepreneur – and notably – a Democrat – also intends to run. She has managed several political campaigns and is the co-founder of HackOut Ninja, “a startup focused on solving problems through bringing people together and empowering ideas.” Richardson is also a supporter of MARTA expansion.
With Cupid vacating her Democrat-dominated District 4 Commission seat to oppose Boyce, eight candidates have already filed paperwork to try to replace her.
