Runoff elections complete Stonecrest’s first government

Voters in the newly-formed city of Stonecrest have decided who will lead their first government. They elected Rob Turner, District 2; George Turner, Jr., District 4, and Diane Daniels Adoma, District 5 in the April 18 special election runoffs, wrapping up elections in the city. The two Turners elected to the five-member Stonecrest City Council are not related.

In one of the most hotly-contested and nationally publicized races in the special election, Mary-Pat Hector, a 19-year-old Spelman College sophomore, narrowly lost her challenge to George Turner, a retired MARTA executive. Hector received 845 votes. Turner received 867.

In February, Turner had challenged Hector’s eligibility to run, saying she was not 21. The DeKalb Board of Registrations and Elections, however, ruled to allow her name to be placed on the ballot after Hector and several supporters spoke during the board’s packed hearing. In addition to supporters who spoke at the hearing, Hector, who is the Youth Director for the National Action Network, drew support from the Rev. Al Sharpton, who heads the network.

Hector placed second in a five-way race on March 21, which resulted in a run-off when none of the candidates received more than 50 percent of the vote.    

The date has not yet been set for the swearing-in ceremony for the three runoff winners. They will join Jazzmin Cobble, District 3, Jimmy Clanton, Jr., District 1, and Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary, who were all elected on March 21 and sworn into office in a private ceremony on March 27 by DeKalb County Judge Ronald Ramsey.

Lary said a public swearing-in ceremony is being planned for those elected to the newly-formed city.

  DeKalb elections officials reported that 18.25 percent—3,768— of 20,643 registered voters in the new city of 50,000 residents cast ballots in the runoffs.

Here is a breakdown of the preliminary run-off results, which must be certified by the DeKalb elections officials:  

District 2

Rob Turner, 437 votes (53.10%)

Plez A. Joyner, 386 votes (46.90%)

District 4

George Turner, Jr., 867 votes (50.64%)

Mary-Pat Hector, 845 votes (49.36%)

District 5

Diane D. Adoma, 662 votes (54.40%)

Tammy L. Grimes, 555 votes (45.60%)