As Americans begin early voting, Cobb County residents face choices that could change Georgia and the county for years to come. According to Georgia’s Secretary of State office, more than 122,000 residents voted before the end of October.
In the 2024 election, Cobb County’s strong influence in the state could impact the results of the presidential election. Cobb County, a battleground county within a battleground state, reflects the broader regional trends growing within Georgia. Winning Cobb County could be the key to securing a state-wide victory for either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris. It accounts for 7% of the overall state population, but within metro Atlanta, it is nearly 13% of the region’s population.
Cobb County was considered a primary factor in President Joe Biden’s 2020 state win, establishing him as the first Democratic nominee to win the state since 1992.
Cobb’s population has become more racially and ethnically diverse through the years. Its residents could reflect a wider election outcome within an increasingly diverse state.
“Over the years Cobb has experienced a demographic shift with more diverse younger voters like myself,” said Cobb resident Radrea Rayborn. “We aim to help Democrats implement their visions that we align with throughout other counties beyond Cobb and for that to carry on with each election we vote in.”
Through grassroots strategies, political parties on both sides incorporate young people in politics to better connect with the community.
For decades, Cobb County symbolized conservative strength within Georgia. Republicans are working hard to strategically keep Cobb Republican in hopes of not only preserving local policies but also reshaping them.
Despite losing Georgia by a narrow margin in 2016, Cobb County was critical to Hillary Clinton’s stronger-than-expected vote in Georgia. Party leaders marked this as the turning point in the Democratic shift in the county.
“She just represented everything I believed in,” said Cheryl T. White, a senior member of the Cobb community. “Hillary essentially set the standard allowing a space for Kamala in politics today.”
Republican officials in Cobb County aim to reinstate Cobb as a Republican stronghold within Georgia as it is critically important in statewide elections.
“Some of the things we don’t want to change is turning Cobb County into a more urban environment,” said Dr. Latona Fisher, executive director for the Cobb Republican Party. “We love sound operations that come from the professionals that have been put in positions to monitor and manage areas, so that’s some of the anxieties going into these races.”
As early voting continues, Cobb voters have more to consider than just the president as they cast their ballots. They are choosing county commissioners, school board officials and a county public transportation funding option.
“The leadership in the county changed from Republican to Democrat, and in that time there’s been some major changes,” Dr. Fisher said. “We are very concerned of all the county-wide positions in this election. The values and status the county has had for decades are on the horizon of being lost.”
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