Jacqueline Adams, LaDena Bolton headed for Super District 7 runoff in DeKalb

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—Democrats Jacqueline Adams and LaDena Bolton are headed for a run-off on Dec, 3 for the DeKalb County’s Super District 7 Board of Commissioner’s seat, one of the key local races in DeKalb.  The super district is comprised of 350,000 residents who live in the Southern half of the county.

The runoff winner will succeed Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, who became the Democratic nominee in the DeKalb County CEO’s race in the May 2024 primary. Facing no Republican challengers, Cochran-Johnson was elected on Tuesday as DeKalb County’s CEO and will take the reigns in January 2025.  

Since neither Adams nor Bolton received 50 percent plus one vote in Tuesday’s four-way District 7 race, they will head to a runoff as the top two vote-getters. Adams received 45.98%, with Bolton coming in second with 26.23%, unofficial results show. Demetrius McCoy came in third with 19.37%.  Kenneth Chung Royal placed fourth with 8.42%.

On the national level: Although U.S. Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris did not win the historic presidential election on Tuesday to become the nation’s first black female president, Harris earned 81.87% of DeKalb’s vote for the office. Republican former President Donald Trump, who  dominated the election nationwide, received 17.11%  from DeKalb voters. Statewide, Trump received 50.73% of the vote, while Harris got 48.53% of Georgia, unofficial results show.

Democrat U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson was re-elected with 75.58%, defeating Republican Eugene Yu, who received 24.42% in the race for the Fourth Congressional District, unofficial results show.

In local uncontested races, DeKalb voters returned the following six Democratic incumbents to offices, according to unofficial results: District Attorney Sherry Boston; Solicitor General Donna Coleman Stribling; Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry; Sheriff Melody Maddox; Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson; and Chief Magistrate Judge Beryl A. Anderson.

Here’s how key state legislative races shaped up for lawmakers serving DeKalb and Gwinnett, according to unofficial results:

State Senate District 10 (contested)

Democrat incumbent State Sen. Emanuel Jones received 85.31%, defeating Republican Furquan Stafford with 14.69%. 

State Senate District 55 (contested)

Democrat Randal Mangham, received 75.97%, defeated Republican Mary Williams Benfield with 24.03%. Mangham will succeed Gloria Butler, who retired after serving District 55 since 1998.  Butler, 82, was the first Black woman to lead the Senate Democratic Caucus. District 55 represents parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. 

State House District 88(contested)

Democrat incumbent Billy Mitchell with 80.18% easily defeated Republican William Park Freeman with 19.82%. 

State House Districts 84, 85, 87, 91, 93, 94, 95 (uncontested) 

In uncontested races, voters re-elected Democrats Mary Margaret Oliver; Karla Drenne, District 85; Viola Davis, District 87; Angela Moore, District 91; Doreen Carter, District 93; Karen Bennett, District 94; and Dar’shun Kendrick, District 95. 

For other election results, visit Georgia’s Secretary of State’s web site:

https://sos.ga.gov