By Rebecca Gaunt

Democratic candidate for the Cobb County Board of Commissioners Kevin Redmon filed a campaign disclosure report indicating that he has raised just over $30,000.

Redmon declared his candidacy for District 2 in October. He was the East Cobb liaison for current District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson prior to declaring his intent to run. 

The map in place was drawn by the Georgia legislature in 2022 and drew Richardson out of her district. Cobb Democrats accused Republicans of gerrymandering and tried to invoke home rule over redistricting in the courts. Cobb Superior Court Judge Ann Harris ruled Monday that the Democratic majority’s attempt to draw its own map is unconstitutional. 

The ruling could potentially create an immediate vacancy on the board.

In a statement to the Courier following the ruling, Redmon called it an unfortunate setback.

“This is a historic ruling for not only Cobb County but, to a greater extent, the State of Georgia,” he said. “Redrawing district lines in the middle of a term opens the path to renegade politics where districts can be pulled into question at any point and for any reason. We eagerly anticipate an appeal that will further this discussion, which is critical to Cobb County’s political future.”

Richardson is challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick in the November election for the 6th Congressional district. 

About half the amount raised is a $15,000 loan from Redmon to his campaign. Monetary donations totaled $11,540 and in-kind contributions came to $3,833.

The Oglethorpe University graduate is a regional sales manager for a software company. He has lived in Cobb County since 2005.

Read the disclosure in full here.

Campaign expenditures total about $11,000, primarily to pay staff, with more than $15,539 in cash on hand.

Justin Smith, an East Cobb resident and Goldman Sachs employee, was his highest contributor at $3,300, the maximum legal donation.

“This is an incredible vote of confidence in the message we are communicating to the community as we continue to build the Kevin for Cobb campaign,” Redmon said in a press release from his campaign. “We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to assemble a strong team to educate the community on the importance of the right kind of leadership at this time in Cobb’s history.”

From the campaign statement following Judge Harris’ ruling:

In 2021, several Republican members of the Cobb Legislative Delegation engaged in an unprecedented detour of process by introducing a general bill on legislative day 15, bypassing the standard local delegation and local calendar process, eliciting a response from the B.O.C. which initiated a Home Rule Action, using Tier II Constitutional authority to amend local legislation. The B.O.C. diligently followed the defined amendment process, filing the legal notice and taking two votes. This step aimed to prevent a never-before-seen issue of the General Assembly violating O.C.G.A. 1.3.11 regarding shortening or lengthening a term of office, requiring a referendum. As a result, the action nullified the votes in the 2020 Dist 2 election. Despite the spirit of Home Rule powers as unlimited, as stated by Former Governor and longtime Marietta Resident Roy Barnes, the court’s ruling focuses on interpreting a map as a procedure “of” election versus “for” election. 

“I acknowledge the merits of the order and commend Judge Harris for her thoroughness and thoughtfulness to those who showed interest in the proceedings,” says District 2 County Commissioner candidate Kevin Redmon. “It is our hope of an injunction for a stay to avoid the impending vacancy and subsequent special election, but reiterate that the continued court process and additional costs to Cobb County taxpayers are a result of the State legislature’s detour of the standard process.”

Find his website at KevinForCobb.com.