August 5, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
The 14 member DeKalb County Commission will be made up of nine new members starting next month and overall, eight seats will be held by Republicans compared to four by Democrats and two by Independents.
In the General Election Thursday, three incumbents were defeated including Democrat Julie Young in the 1st district, Democrat Janice Fish Stewart in the 4th district, and Republican Bruce Malone in the 7th district.
Two new members were elected from the 1st district including Republican Tom Chandler, who won Thursday with 303 votes and Independent Daniel D. Cripps who received 225 votes. Republican Bennett Armstrong lost with 178 votes and Young came in last with 140 votes. Shaee Flatt, another incumbent 1st district commissioner who was appointed in 2021 to fill a vacancy did not seek election to a full term.
The second district incumbent commissioners were re-elected. Republican Sabrina Farler won with 389 votes and Democrat Myron Rhody received 307 votes. Republican Jim Pearson came up short losing with 255 votes.
Third district incumbent Democratic Commissioner Susannah Cripps Daughtry, who was also appointed in 2021 to fill a vacancy, was elected to her first full term Thursday winning with 260 votes but it was independent candidate Tony Luna who led the ticket in the district with 289 votes. Republican Tim Perricone narrowly lost with 250 votes and former county commissioner Jack E. Barton, III had 230 votes in a losing effort.
The fourth district will have two Republican commissioners in Tony “Cully” Culwell who won with 335 votes and Greg Matthews who garnered 270 votes. Commissioner Janice Fish Stewart came in third losing with 237 votes and former commissioner Wayne Cantrell, an Independent, lost with 199 votes. Another incumbent 4th district commissioner, Dr. Scott Little, a Democrat chose not to seek re-election but instead made an unsuccessful bid for a seat on the school board.
The fifth district will be represented by two GOP commissioners, Larry Green and Glynn Merriman, who both ran unopposed Thursday. Green received 414 votes and Merriman polled 359. Incumbent 5th District Commissioner Anita Puckett chose not to seek re-election but instead made an unsuccessful run for the GOP nomination for County Mayor in May.
Democratic 6th district incumbent Commissioner Jeff Barnes, the longest serving current member at 20 years, was re-elected with 267 votes but Republican Justin Douglas Adcock was the top vote getter in the district with 311. Republican Doug Stephens fell just short of being elected with 259 votes and former commissioner Danny McGinnis, a Democrat, got 112 votes in a losing run. Incumbent GOP 6th district commissioner Matt Adcock elected not to seek re-election but instead ran for and won the office of County Mayor.
Seventh district incumbent Beth Pafford, a Democrat, was re-elected with 248 votes but Republican Timothy Brian Reynolds led the pack in the district with 271 votes, Incumbent Republican Bruce Malone lost with 206 votes.
The terms of office are for 4 years each to begin September 1.