help_outline Skip to main content
Add Me To Your Mailing List
HomeBlogsRead Post

Public Blog

Historic Wins for Democrats in Cobb County
By Jacquelyn Bettadapur
Posted: 2020-11-16T15:21:00Z
It has been nearly 30 years since Georgia voted for a Democratic President.  In 1992, Bill Clinton beat George H.W. Bush here.  It was also the last time an incumbent president did not win re-election.  The last time, that is, until last Tuesday, when voters denied Donald Trump a second term.

We were handed a startling defeat four years ago, but life is a lot like physics --every action elicits an equal and opposite reaction.  For us, the reaction was considerably stronger.  We marched, we organized and we voted. 

And through every election cycle since – the 2017 special elections, the 2018 gubernatorial elections, municipal elections, and now 2020 we have become stronger, we have become smarter, and we have mostly won.  I want to thank all the candidates who ran for office in 2020. Win or lose your efforts continue to build essential infrastructure, improve our ground game, and position us for future gains. 

This cycle was a big win for Cobb County.  We made history with a countywide sweep of local government and ushered in a new era for Cobb County.  The history we made was underwritten by countless individuals through the course of many years, months, and days.  It was underwritten by all of you.  Success happens where opportunity and preparation meet.  Opportunity came in the form of shifting political sentiment, shifting demographics and a confluence of events and issues that played favorably into our hands.  And we were prepared when that opportunity came to us.  We were prepared with candidates with proven track records and strong networks.  We were prepared with local party infrastructure to support those candidates.  And, after deciding that Commission District 2 was key to the County,  we were prepared with a strategy to flip that district.  As the local party franchise, our commitment is to local candidates that file their qualifying paperwork and fees with us and we delivered.  

I am thrilled beyond words that Lisa Cupid will chair the Cobb Board of Commissioners and will be joined by Jerica Richardson, District 2 Commissioner and Monique Sheffield, District 4 Commissioner.  This victory brings us young, diverse, forward-thinking leadership that is committed to collaboration and inclusion.  A leadership that will look beyond partisan divides and old, worn out narratives to effectively address the challenges this county faces and devise innovative solutions for the benefit of all Cobb citizens.    

In addition to a revamped Board of Commissioners, we elected Craig Owens as Cobb County Sheriff, Flynn Broady as Cobb County District Attorney and Connie Taylor as Cobb County Superior Court Clerk.   Working together, this progressive leadership team will work to improve our community, reform our justice system, and increase public safety.  We are about to see the rewards of winning elections.  For while we can march, protest, and advocate, it is only when we win that we can advance a progressive agenda and achieve representation that reflects who we are as a community.  

Hopefully, you took some time to celebrate these victories over the weekend but now it’s time to go back to work.  We have a state runoff election on December 1 to elect Democrat Daniel Blackman to Georgia’s Public Service Commission. We have two U.S. Senate runoff elections on January 5 to elect Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.  Control of the Senate and Mitch McConnell’s ability to block President Biden’s agenda hangs in the balance and depends upon your continued engagement to turn out the vote.

Jacquelyn Bettadapur
Chair, Cobb County Democratic Committee


Instagram Logo     Twitter Logo     Facebook Logo