Smyrna and Austell reelected long-term mayors but will have new faces on the city councils. Powder Springs voters return to the polls to select a mayor and one council member.
Smyrna
Max Bacon won an eighth term as Mayor of Smyrna in the Nov. 3 election, with a margin of 63 percent, defeating Councilman Wade Lnenicka (33 percent), and Alex Backry (4 percent).
“I did this and I will continue to do this because of the people of Smyrna,” Bacon said. “We are going to stay positive, and we are going to look straight into the future, it’s going to be great! Thank you for your support and hard work.”
Two new faces will join city council. Derek Norton, a lobbyist, defeated incumbent Melleny Pritchett Ward 1 race by a margin of 76 to 23 percent. In the open race in Ward 6 former State Senator Doug Stoner outpolled Tara Simon 50 to 49 percent.
Incumbent Ward 2 Councilwoman Andrea Blustein and Ward 7 Councilman Ron Fennel were unopposed.
Teri Anulewicz, incumbent in Ward 3, defeated challenger “Bentley” Branson Bentley by a 70 to 29 percent margin.
Ward 4, incumbent Charles “Corky” Welch outpolled Alan Dunn by a margin of 63 – 36 percent.
Ward 5 incumbent Susan Wilkinson defeated Jerry Jacobs 68 to 31 percent.
Austell
Joe Jerkins, Mayor of Austell for 26 years, will serve another tem, after defeating Chris Djonis, a business owner, 336 to 253.
Valerie Anderson won City Council At Large Post 2 with a 51.6 margin over Shondraé Knight and Robert L. McField II.
Ward 2 incumbent Scott S. Thomas was unopposed as was Sandra Simpson Leverette in Ward 4.
Powder Springs
The Mayor and one council office are up for a runoff in Powder Springs on Dec. 1
Al Thurman, a small business owner, earned 43 percent and Dr. Chris Wizner took 37 percent to force a runoff. Alison Feliciano, a business owner, received 20 percent of the vote.
Patrick Bordelon Sr. won the At Large Post 1 seat over Tom Bevirt by a margin of 61-38 percent.
Henry L. Lust, will face Patricia A. Wisdom in a runoff for Council At Large Post 2. Lust earned 40 percent, Wisdom 35 and Ashanti Norton 24 percent.
The Ward 2 post vacated by Thurman, Doris Dawkins was the sole qualifier and certified as the winner.
From the November 2015 issue of The Bright Side, Cobb County Georgia’s Newspaper covering Smyrna, Vinings, Mableton, Powder Springs and Austell, GA.
