The May 19 primary and nonpartisan election gives Sandy Springs voters the chance to determine who leads the state at every level of government, from the governor’s office to Capitol Hill, and the statewide officials who oversee voting, public safety, and the legal system.
Qualification concluded at noon on Friday, March 6. The deadline to register to vote in the May 19 primary is April 20.
Are you registered to vote? Check your status at the My Voter Page.
The election cycle begins with party primaries on May 19, followed by June runoffs where necessary, and the general election on Nov. 3.
Georgia does not permit voting in more than one party’s primary, so voters wishing to participate in the primary election must choose either the Democratic or the Republican Party ballot.
Voters can request a nonpartisan ballot, which contains school board and judicial races that are frequently unopposed.
Elections for Fulton County Commission
Sandy Springs voters participating in the Democratic Party’s primary can choose between three candidates running for chair of the Fulton County Commission. The county government funds senior and behavioral health, the Sheriff’s Office and all jail facilities, the Grady Health System, election management, libraries, and animal services.
The at-large member of the board of commissioners leads meetings, sets policy agendas, and acts as the official spokesperson. The chair is elected countywide.
Chair Robb Pitts is running against two sitting commissioners in his party who have been critical of his leadership. A Republican candidate also qualified.
Candidates for Fulton County Commission Chair
| Candidate | Website |
|---|---|
| Marvin Arrington Jr. (D) | Balllotpedia | Campaign |
| Mo Ivory (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Robb Pitts (D) (Incumbent) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Eric J. Tatum (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
Candidates for Fulton County Commissioners
Three Fulton County Commission districts represent parts of Sandy Springs. The county staggers its elections, and only odd-numbered seats on the board of commissioners are up for reelection this year.
Commissioners are elected only by the residents of each district.
County Commissioner Bob Ellis represents District 2, which includes northeast and central Sandy Springs.
County Commissioner Bridget Thorne represents District 1, which includes the “panhandle” region north of the city of Dunwoody and east of Ga. 400. Thorne, the only Republican to qualify, is running in a 2022 rematch against a Democratic Party challenger, eliminating the need for a primary.
Candidates for Fulton Commission District 1
| Candidate | Website |
|---|---|
| Bridget Thorne (R) (incumbent) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Maggie Goldman (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
Candidates for Fulton Commission District 3
District 3 Commissioner Dana Barrett is running for Georgia secretary of state, leaving the seat open. Seven candidates qualified for the May 19 primary, ensuring competition in both party primaries.
Former Sandy Springs Council Member Andy Bauman said he decided not to run for the District 3 seat.
| Candidate | Website |
|---|---|
| Jodi Merriday (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Kiddada Grey (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Kimberly Bean (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Lee Morris (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Reed Stillson (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Paul Burton (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Rebecca King (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
Fulton County School Board
The Fulton County School Board, which governs the public school system in Sandy Springs, has a contested nonpartisan race for the District 7 seat, which includes the North Springs High School cluster.
District 7 incumbent Michelle Morancie is running against John Seeli.
The Riverwood cluster is in District 3, a seat currently held by Katie Gregory, elected to a four-year term in 2024.
Other countywide nonpartisan elections
Nonpartisan judicial races are on ballots in mid-May. Georgia shifted most judicial elections to nonpartisan in 1983 to emphasize merit and impartiality over party politics.
Fulton County Chief Magistrate Judge Cassandra Kirk was the only judge to qualify for the position. She will automatically have another four-year term.
Fulton County State Court judges Eric Richardson and Fred Eady are also unchallenged.
There is a competitive race between sitting Fulton County State Court Judge Jay M. Roth and Miracle Williams, a senior assistant solicitor general.
General Assembly races in Sandy Springs
The Georgia General Assembly is the state’s legislative branch with two chambers: a 56-member Senate and a 180-member House of Representatives. The state legislature is responsible for passing the annual state operating budget and enacting laws. It meets annually for a 40-day session and operates on a two-year cycle.
Candidates for State Senate
Four state house districts are within Sandy Springs. Just two state senate districts are within the city.
Here’s an interactive map of state and federal congressional districts.
Georgia’s 51st District covers northeast Sandy Springs and the panhandle, extending into neighboring Roswell. The incumbent, Esther Panitch, has one challenger in the Democratic primary. The lone Republican candidate is automatically the party’s nominee.
| Candidate | Website |
| Esther Panitch (D) incumbent | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Aaron Baker (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Derek Gettmann (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
The 52nd District is in east-central Sandy Springs, stretching into Dunwoody and Brookhaven. State Sen. Shea Roberts has no opposition in the Democratic or Republican parties, ensuring she will serve another term.
| Candidate | Website |
| Shea Roberts (D) (incumbent) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
The 53rd District covers west Sandy Springs and parts of Roswell and Buckhead. The sitting Republican representative is unchallenged, and two Democrats are vying for a chance to flip the seat.
| Candidate | Website |
| Deborah Silcox (R) (Incumbent) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Beth Fuller | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Tim Dorr | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
The 54th District is in southeast Sandy Springs, south of I-285 and west of Lake Forrest Drive. The district extends south along Roswell Road into Buckhead.
| Candidate | Website |
| Betsy Holland (Incumbent) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Derrick Tuff II | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Gregory Miller | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
Candidates for State Senate
The city of Sandy Springs has two state Senate districts. Most of the city is within Georgia’s 14th District, a seat held by state Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Democrat running for lieutenant governor.
| Candidate | Website |
| Carson McQueen (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Mike Dvorscak (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Tamara Johnson-Shealy (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Kay Howell (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Kevin Abel (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Nathalie Kanani (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
The elongated 38th District extends from the city of Palmetto in south Fulton County to the southwest corner of Sandy Springs. State Sen. Rashaun Kemp (D-Atlanta) is unchallenged, but there will be a Republican Party primary.
| Candidate | Website |
| Rashaun Kemp (D) (incumbent) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Eric Helvy (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Gregory Thomas (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
Congressional races in Sandy Springs
The city of Sandy Springs is within two U.S. congressional districts. Most residents north of I-285 are in the 7th District, except for some neighborhoods south of Mount Vernon Highway. The southern end of the city near Buckhead is within the 6th District.
Candidates for Georgia’s 7th District
| Candidate | Website |
|---|---|
| Case Norton (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Jayson Toweh (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Larry Long (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Tony Kozycki (D) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Rich McCormick (R) (incumbent) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
Candidates for Georgia’s 6th District
| Candidate | Website |
| Justin Lee Pinker (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Kevin Eugene Martin (R) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
| Lucy McBath (D) (Incumbent) | Ballotpedia | Campaign |
Statewide races in Georgia
Voters will weigh in on races for governor, one U.S. Senate seat, all 14 congressional seats, and several statewide constitutional offices, including lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Jump to: U.S. Senate | Governor | Lt. Governor | Sec. of State | Attorney General | U.S. House
Gabriel Sterling, a former Sandy Springs council member who most recently served as chief operating officer for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, qualified to run for the office.
Other state officials up for reelection include Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner John King, Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes, and State School Superintendent Richard Woods. While most incumbents are unchallenged, there are four Republicans running for Woods’ seat.
There are also a couple of contested seats on the Georgia Supreme Court, the state Appeals Court, and Districts 3 and 5 on the Public Service Commission.
