Voters in parts of Fulton and Cobb counties sent two Democrats to a runoff election after no candidate won enough votes to claim the State Senate District 35 seat outright.
What’s Happening: Jaha Howard received 5,134 votes or 32.63% in Tuesday’s special election, while Roger Bruce got 3,992 votes or 25.37%. The two will face each other in a December 16 runoff.
What’s Important: The seat opened up when Jason Esteves resigned in September to focus on his campaign for governor. A candidate needed more than 50% of votes to avoid a runoff.
The Other Candidates: Four other candidates split the remaining votes. Republican Josh Tolbert received 2,765 votes or 17.57%. Democrat Erica-Denise Solomon got 2,720 votes or 17.29%. Independent Corenza Morris received 290 votes or 1.84%. Democrat John Williams got 832 votes or 5.29%.
Who They Are: Howard is a pediatric dentist who previously served on the Cobb County Board of Education. Bruce served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2003 to 2024.
The Big Picture: District 35 covers parts of South Fulton, Douglasville, Austell, Smyrna and Vinings. The winner will complete Esteves’ term and represent the district in the state legislature.
The Sources: Election Results.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
