ATLANTA (AP) — DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston is challenging the constitutionality of a new Georgia law that mandates nonpartisan elections for most local officials in the five most populous counties in the Atlanta area. Boston, accompanied by other district attorneys from Fulton, Clayton, and Cobb counties, announced the lawsuit on Wednesday at a park near the state Capitol. She claims the law violates both state and federal constitutions and disproportionately affects Democratic strongholds under the pretense of reducing political influence in elections.
Boston stated, "Republicans here at the state Capitol want to make it harder for voters in our counties to choose the people who best represent us and our values." She expressed skepticism about the law's purported goals of improving public safety and removing politics from local elections.
The lawsuit targets the state of Georgia, and Kara Murray, a spokesperson for state Attorney General Chris Carr, indicated that the state will defend the law as it was enacted. The law, signed by Republican Governor Brian Kemp last month, will take effect in 2028 and requires nonpartisan elections for district attorneys, solicitors general, county commissioners, court clerks, and tax commissioners.
The elections for these officials, except district attorneys, will be moved to May, coinciding with nonpartisan judicial elections, which may result in lower voter turnout compared to November elections. Boston argues that the law violates Georgia's uniformity clause and equal protection clauses, as it treats the specified counties and their voters differently without justification. The law's implementation is seen as a response to the changing political landscape in the Atlanta suburbs, where Democratic candidates have gained traction since 2016.
