Overview:
For the May 21 General Election there are several candidates vying for open school board seats.
Several candidates have qualified to run for their county school board seats in the upcoming May 21 general primary.
Notably, several long-term board members have elected not to seek reelection, including Katha Stuart from Fulton County, Dr. Mary Kay Murphy from Gwinnett County Schools, David Banks from Cobb County Schools, Vickie B. Turner, Dr. Joyce Morley, and Anna Hill from Dekalb County Schools.
While most school board elections in Georgia are nonpartisan, some districts still run partisan races. Notably, several long-term board members have elected not to seek reelection, including Katha Stuart from Fulton County, Dr. Mary Kay Murphy from Gwinnett County Schools, David Banks from Cobb County Schools, Vickie B. Turner, Dr. Joyce Morley, and Anna Hill from Dekalb County Schools.
Cherokee County Schools
In this partisan race, incumbents Kelly Kind Poole (R) qualified to run in District 1 and Patsy Jordan(R) for District 2.
Clayton County Schools
All candidates who qualified in Clayton County Schools are incumbents who are running in uncontested races. In District 2
District 2
Mark Christmas (District 2)
District 3
Jessie Goree (District 3),
District 5
Deatrice “Dee” Haney (District 5)
District 6
Mary Baker (District 6)
District 7
Sabrina Hill (District 7)
Cobb County Schools
Cobb County voters are running with new hotly contested maps that were passed by the Georgia Legislature. Georgia Gov Brian Kemp approved the in Jan 2024, but there are still concerns with Democratic lawmakers with concerns that Black and Hispanic voters are packed into specific districts in an attempt to weaken their vote. In this partisan race, David Banks who is the Board Vice- Chair who represents Post 5 is not seeking reelection.
Post 1
Vickie H.W. Benson (D)
Randall Allen Scamihorn (R)
Post 3
Leroy Tre’ Hutchins (D)
Post 5
Laura Judge (D)
John H. Cristadoro (R)
Post 7
Andrew Cole (D)
Bradford Jay Wheeler (R)
Dekalb County Schools
Four seats—District 1, 3, 5, and 7 in Dekalb County Schools—are up for election this year in this nonpartisan race. Here are the nine candidates who qualified for four school board seats, with three incumbents not seeking reelection. In District 1, Anna Hill is not seeking reelection. In District 5, Vickie B. Turner is not seeking reelection, and Dr. Joyce Morley in District 7 is not seeking reelection.
District 1
Austin McDonald
Andrew Ziffer
District 3
Deidra Russel Wright
Deirdre P. Piece (Incumbent)
District 5
Donna Priest- Brown
Telessa Ammons
Tiffany Tate Hogan
Manus B. Caldwell, Jr.
District 7
Awet “Howard” Eyasu
Douglas County Schools
In this partisan race, Douglas County Schools has two seats up for reelection.
District 1
Johnnie Ruth Morgan (D). (I)
Devetrion Caldwell (D)
Tameka Scott (D)
District 5
Glenn Easterwood (R) (I)
Forsyth County Schools
In this partisan race, Forsyth County Schools has five eight candidates running for three school board seats.
District 2
Lindsey Adams (I )
Trisha Hoyes
Jessica Fleming (D)
District 3
Tom Cleveland (I)
Dorian Usherwood (R )
Debbie Stair (D)
District 4
Claudia Wood (D) (I)
Chris Grimes ( R)
Fulton County Schools
Fulton County Board veteran Katha Stuart will not seek reelection in this nonpartisan race.
District 1
Sara Elizabeth Gillespie
Lyndsey Coates
District 3
Katherine Green Gregory (I)
Mustafa Karadeniz
Samuel Beck
District 4
Franchesca Warren (I)
Stefani Carrera de Beck
Gwinnett County Schools
In this non-partisan race, long-time board member Dr. Mary Kay Murphy will not seek reelection after 25 years of serving on the Gwinnett County School Board. There are 11 candidates running for three board seats.
District 1
Karen Watkins (I)
Leroy Ranel, Jr.
Rachel Ruffin Stone
District 3
Domonque Cooper
Yanin Cortes
Steve Gasper
Anthony Mulkey
Shana Vidal White
District 5
Tarece Johnson Morgan (I)
Jacquelyn Evenezer
Patrina King
Henry County Schools
Henry County Schools has nine candidates vying for three school board seats in this non-partisan race.
District 1
Pam Nutt (I)
John H. Dewberry
Cassandra Norsworthy
Earlene H. Crump
District 3
Jennifer Gardner Carter
Larry N. Bryant
District 5
Makenzie McDaniel (I)
Gewel Richardson
Sheri Mimbs
Candidates qualified March 4-8, and early voting starts on April 29. If there is a runoff for any of these races, it will start on June 18.