Gwinnett County and Cobb County Judicial Elections Results 2016
We want to keep our clients informed about the issues that affect them. On May 24, there were judicial elections in the counties we work in: Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb and Fulton. This month we will take a look at the results in Cobb and Gwinnett. (We also threw in a fact about each of the elected Judges.)
Gwinnett County Superior Court Election:
Melodie Snell Conner (I)* – Chief Judge, no challenger, Gwinnett county’s first female Superior Court Judge.
Karen E. Beyers (I) – No challenger, prior to becoming a judge she was a sole practitioner attorney.
Warren Davis (I) – No challenger, appointed by Gov. Perdue in 2008, prior Chief Magistrate.
Ronnie Batchelor (I) – Beat challenger Gregory McKeithen 71%-29%**, has been married for 44 years and a judge for 12 years.
Randy Rich (I) – No challenger, appointed by Gov. Deal in 2014, first election as Superior Court judge.
Kathy Schrader (I) – No challenger, won her first Superior court election in a runoff in 2012.
Gwinnett County State Court Election:
Emily Brantley (I) – No challenger, former personal injury and mediation lawyer.
Shawn Bratton (I) – Beat challenger Latawsha Little-Hill 71%-29%, grew up in Gwinnett, served in the Navy.
Carla Brown (I) – Beat challenger Rhonda Colvin-Leary 70%-30%, Judge since 2003, active in the animal rescue community.
Cobb County Superior Court Election:
Reuben Green (I) – Beat challenger Nathan Wade 55.5% -44.5%, founder of the Cobb County Veterans Accountability and Treatment court.
Kimberly Childs – Beat Chuck Bachman and Grady Moore for vacant seat, 54%, 31%, 15%, prior to attending law school, she worked as a guard at the DeKalb County Jail.
- Lark Ingram (I) – No challenger, has been a judge in Cobb County since 1991, prior to this she was an Assistant District Attorney.
Carlton L. Tain Kell (I) – No challenger, grew up in Cobb County where his mother was a teacher and father was a High School football coach.
Greg Poole (I) – No challenger, prior to election in 2012, was a Juvenile Court Judge focusing on rehabilitation and reuniting families.
- Stephen Schuster (I) – Beat challengers Joanne Elizabeth Elsey and Cindie Alter, 60%, 23%, 17%, performed the first same-sex wedding in Cobb County.
Mary Ellen Staley (I) – No challenger, judge in Cobb since 1982, Cobb County Mental Health Court presiding Judge.
Cobb County State Court:
Toby Prodgers (I) – No challenger, grew up in the military, living in Japan, Germany, Alabama, Virginia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Maryland, and California
Jane Manning – Beat Brenden F. Murphy and Aaron Strimban for the vacant seat, 51%, 34%, 15%, currently serves as the Assistant Solicitor General in Cobb County.
Carl W. Bowers (I) – No challenger, is the father of four sons and former Chief Magistrate.
Marsha Lake (I) – No challenger, an avid tennis player and former Assistant District Attorney
Allison B. Salter – Won vacant seat with no challenger, managing partner at Barnes Law Group
Maria Golick (I) – No challenger, wife of state Representative Rich Golick (R-Smyrna.)
Eric Brewton (I) – No challenger, worked for Travelers Insurance Company prior to appointment in 2010.
For State Post 3, there were five candidates. None of them won the required 51% of the vote, so there will be a run-off between the top two candidates:
Kellie Hill, 27%, Luke Lantta 16%, John Morgan 38%, Chandler Vreeland 5%, Leah J. Zammit 13%
Next month, Schiavone Law will take a look at the winners of the DeKalb and Fulton County Elections.
*(I) – Incumbent
**Results are rounded to the nearest percentage point
Schiavone Law Group practices DUI, criminal and family law in Gwinnett and Fulton Counties.