Seven candidates ultimately qualified in the race to succeed south Cobb Commissioner Lisa Cupid. Two emerged from the June 9 primary with clear leads over their competitors: Businesswoman Shelia Edwards and real estate agent Monique Sheffield.
It all came down to the candidates’ networks, said Jacquelyn Bettadapur, chair of the Cobb Democratic Party.
“You can’t just build those networks from, what was it, March 6 or March 9, from the qualifying point until election day,” she said. “You can’t just flip the switch. You have to have done some work for a year, two years, several years ahead of that to position yourself to be successful.”
Edwards and Sheffield each earned almost a quarter of the 31,000 votes cast in the race, and are now headed to an Aug. 11 runoff that will determine who will be the next person to represent Cobb’s Democratic stronghold on the county’s governing board — no Republicans ran for the position.
Edwards edged Sheffield with 7,705 votes to the latter’s 6,959. She also raised $27,316, the second most of any candidate, with donations from community activists Ben Williams, of the SCLC and Denny Wilson.
Sheffield raised $21,245. Among her notable donations was $101 from Galt Porter, chair of the Cobb County Planning Commission, and $1,000 from the Sams, Larkin and Huff law firm. Garvis Sams, one of the firm’s attorneys, is a fixture at zoning hearings.
In an interview, Sheffield said voters likely supported her because of her experience on the Board of Zoning Appeals, a position she was appointed to by Cupid. Zoning is one of the primary responsibilities of a county commissioner, she said.
“I’ve had an opportunity to build relationships with county staff and community stakeholders, so that gives me a three year head start,” she said. “There will not be a learning curve.”
Edwards attributed her success to her advocacy in the community.
“I think that I did so well because I had a story to tell of working in the community,” she said. “I was able to make voters aware — who weren’t aware — of the work I’ve been doing for years to improve our quality of life.
She cited her opposition to the placement of a waste transfer station in south Cobb earlier in the decade and her pushing for the redevelopment of the area’s Magnolia Crossing property, which she believes has transformative potential.
Indeed, Edwards won the precincts surrounding and south of Mableton. Sheffield won precincts on the district’s periphery, including those in Powder Springs and Smyrna.
Sheffield said she had made an effort to reach out to every part of the district. Her support from the district’s western precincts may have come from having spent 13 of her 20 years in the district in Powder Springs, she added.
Cupid said it was no surprise to see Edwards and Sheffield rise to the top, given the former’s name recognition from past runs for office and work in the community, and the latter’s work on the BZA and other community organizations.
The commissioner encouraged Sheffield to run, according to Bettadapur. This month, she endorsed Sheffield for the position.
“Monique has firsthand knowledge of the unique character and potential across the district having lived in Austell, Powder Springs, and now Mableton,” Cupid wrote on Facebook. “As a business owner in real estate for 17 years and as a District 4 appointee to Cobb County’s Board of Zoning Appeals she has demonstrated great skill and professionalism in partnering with residents, county staff, and developers across the county.”
Edwards has racked up a number of endorsements of her own. Tenants’ rights activist Monica Delancy, who also ran for the seat and came in third, threw her support behind Edwards in July, as did the Rev. Coakley Pendergrass, associate minister at Turner Chapel AME Church.
“She and I have both gone before the Board of Commissioners to advocate on issues including affordable housing, zoning issues, and the rights of renters,” Delancy said in a statement. “I have personally witnessed her advocacy for economic development and good paying jobs to come to our community, which for me (are) the qualities of a true leader.”
July 25, 2020 at 06:00PM
https://www.mdjonline.com/news/deep-roots-send-cobb-commission-district-4-candidates-to-runoff/article_a3d20c98-cbb4-11ea-bab6-e32f6ab35438.html
Deep roots send Cobb Commission District 4 candidates to runoff - MDJOnline.com
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