Newcomers Godwin, Mount knock off Carrollton school board incumbents
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Two of the four incumbents up for re-election on the Carrollton City Board of Education lost their bids to return to the board for four more years. And a third incumbent narrowly fended off a challenge from an upstart candidate.
In a three-way race for the board’s at-large seat, David Godwin emerged as the winner, defeating incumbent Lynn Kress by a margin of 1,103 votes to 733 for Kress. The third candidate, Lee Cole, polled 172 votes, not enough to force a runoff. Kress had served two terms on the city school board and had only good things to say about her opponent and her colleagues on the board.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed, but I feel privileged to have served on the board for eight years,” she said. “I support David Godwin, I support the board and if they need me in the future, I am ready to help in any way I can.”
In Ward 3, Jason Mount knocked off incumbent Kelly Glanton with 441 votes to Glanton’s 426.
In Ward 2, the longtime incumbent Joe McGinnis succeeded, narrowly, in winning a seventh term on the board. Challenger Bruce Brewer, a retiree from the University of West Georgia who has spent 30 years in education, made his first-ever run for public office and came within 18 votes of ending McGinnis’s 24-year career on the board. The final tally was 341 votes for McGinnis to 323 votes for Brewer.
“I feel good about the race I ran,” Brewer said after the final results were announced Tuesday night by Carroll County Elections Supervisor Patti Brown-Traylor. “Joe has 24 years of experience and that’s always tougher for the challenger to overcome. So I can congratulate him.”
McGinnis, Glanton and Mount could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
In Ward 1, Gregory Dothard, who was appointed to fill the seat left vacant by the death nearly a year ago of Joshua Mabry, easily turned back challenger Earl Phillips, polling 174 votes to 28 for Phillips.
“I was expecting a little closer race, but I put in a lot of hard work and it paid off,” Dothard said. He said he focused his campaign “on my passion and my compassion for kids to become educated and to live a successful life.”
Dothard, who works at Georgia Power, said his focus on the board will be the “achievement gap” between students who excel and those who get left behind.
“My main thing is the achievement gap and to try to bridge that gap,” he said. “There are a variety of things we’re looking at in how to do that, such as the diversity of the staff and the faculty, among other things.”
Phillips said he was a bit surprised by how few votes he received.
“In fact, I was expecting to win,” Phillips said. “Yes, I was highly, highly disappointed, because my whole campaign was to eliminate drugs in the Carrollton schools.”
Godwin, a loan officer at SunTrust Bank who beat incumbent Kress, said he was “truly humbled” by the faith voters put in him.
“I’m just so thankful for all the voters’ support,” he said. “The financial situation was huge to me. I wanted to make sure we are very disciplined in our finances.”
Godwin said he won’t walk onto the school board with any big plans at first.
“I just promise to put every fiber of my being into the job,” he said.
In a three-way race for the board’s at-large seat, David Godwin emerged as the winner, defeating incumbent Lynn Kress by a margin of 1,103 votes to 733 for Kress. The third candidate, Lee Cole, polled 172 votes, not enough to force a runoff. Kress had served two terms on the city school board and had only good things to say about her opponent and her colleagues on the board.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed, but I feel privileged to have served on the board for eight years,” she said. “I support David Godwin, I support the board and if they need me in the future, I am ready to help in any way I can.”
In Ward 3, Jason Mount knocked off incumbent Kelly Glanton with 441 votes to Glanton’s 426.
In Ward 2, the longtime incumbent Joe McGinnis succeeded, narrowly, in winning a seventh term on the board. Challenger Bruce Brewer, a retiree from the University of West Georgia who has spent 30 years in education, made his first-ever run for public office and came within 18 votes of ending McGinnis’s 24-year career on the board. The final tally was 341 votes for McGinnis to 323 votes for Brewer.
“I feel good about the race I ran,” Brewer said after the final results were announced Tuesday night by Carroll County Elections Supervisor Patti Brown-Traylor. “Joe has 24 years of experience and that’s always tougher for the challenger to overcome. So I can congratulate him.”
McGinnis, Glanton and Mount could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
In Ward 1, Gregory Dothard, who was appointed to fill the seat left vacant by the death nearly a year ago of Joshua Mabry, easily turned back challenger Earl Phillips, polling 174 votes to 28 for Phillips.
“I was expecting a little closer race, but I put in a lot of hard work and it paid off,” Dothard said. He said he focused his campaign “on my passion and my compassion for kids to become educated and to live a successful life.”
Dothard, who works at Georgia Power, said his focus on the board will be the “achievement gap” between students who excel and those who get left behind.
“My main thing is the achievement gap and to try to bridge that gap,” he said. “There are a variety of things we’re looking at in how to do that, such as the diversity of the staff and the faculty, among other things.”
Phillips said he was a bit surprised by how few votes he received.
“In fact, I was expecting to win,” Phillips said. “Yes, I was highly, highly disappointed, because my whole campaign was to eliminate drugs in the Carrollton schools.”
Godwin, a loan officer at SunTrust Bank who beat incumbent Kress, said he was “truly humbled” by the faith voters put in him.
“I’m just so thankful for all the voters’ support,” he said. “The financial situation was huge to me. I wanted to make sure we are very disciplined in our finances.”
Godwin said he won’t walk onto the school board with any big plans at first.
“I just promise to put every fiber of my being into the job,” he said.
Only a person who doesn't know Mr. Cole can draw a conclusion as to the one you have drawn. In fact Mr. Cole didn't believe in spending money and campaigning for his election of office. Just as he would NOT spend tax payers money for things not needed and not be of a positive outcome for the Carrollton City schools.
Now look at Mr. Cole's past records. He excels in ALL he does because he puts the time and effort it requires. Most of all he puts his heart and soul into everything he believes in. For this everything takes off and grows. Wheather it be family, business, or a position he is intrusted to serve others.