Georgia’s latest election fight is headed to court after a metro Atlanta prosecutor sued to stop a new law removing party labels from key local races in the state’s most heavily Democratic region.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston filed the lawsuit against the state of Georgia after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 369, which requires nonpartisan elections for most local officials in Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb and Gwinnett counties but not the rest of the state. Boston announced the challenge while flanked by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Clayton County District Attorney Tasha Mosley and Cobb County District Attorney Sonya Allen.
Boston, the lawsuit’s only plaintiff, argues the law violates both state and federal constitutions by singling out five metro Atlanta counties and treating their voters and officials differently. She accused Republican lawmakers of targeting Democratic strongholds under the guise of taking politics out of local elections.
The law is scheduled to take effect in 2028 and would apply to district attorneys, solicitors general, county commissioners, court clerks and tax commissioners. Elections for the affected offices, except district attorney, would move to May, with June runoffs if no candidate wins a majority.
Supporters of the law have framed the change differently. Republican state Sen. John Albers of Roswell, who pushed the measure, said during the legislative session that it would promote public safety, though the law leaves sheriff’s races partisan. A spokesperson for Republican state Attorney General Chris Carr said the state will defend the law.
