Cobb County voters have ousted a 12-year Republican incumbent from the county school board, handing Democrats control of the panel for the first time in years. Michael Garza defeated David Chastain for the Post 4 seat, a result that wipes out the board's Republican majority and gives Democrats a 4-3 edge heading into the next term.
Garza, a Democrat whose children attend Cobb County schools, ran on transparent leadership, parent-teacher collaboration and community engagement, according to WABE. His win over the longtime incumbent was also detailed by the AJC, which confirmed that Democrats flipped the board's majority. Axios reported that Garza received 55% of the vote in defeating Chastain.
Garza said his campaign was about more than one race or person, telling WABE that people have long wanted change over reports of classroom racism and antisemitism and what he described as insufficient disability services. He said families now see hope for addressing those issues and having honest conversations going forward. The win follows a 2024 cycle in which three Democratic candidates tried and failed to win seats on the same board, per the same outlet.
A Looming Question Over the Superintendent
Perhaps the most consequential item on the new board's plate is the future of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, the longest-serving superintendent in metro Atlanta, who has faced mounting pushback over comments about parents and stakeholders critical of district operations. Garza told the station that the board will need to discuss his leadership and how to move forward with him, noting that the superintendent is not an elected official and that the board itself hires and retains him. He said he wants to explore whether Ragsdale is the right person to continue leading Georgia's second-largest school district.
That tension surfaced publicly in late July, when Cobb County educators walked out during Ragsdale's address ahead of the new school year. The district subsequently questioned an estimated 200 teachers over whether they had walked out, according to the Cobb County Association of Educators, as reported by the AJC. Association president Jeff Hubbard said the teachers questioned could be accused of insubordination or unprofessionalism; he separately told WSB that more than 100 educators were questioned after the walkout.
Spending Fights and Shrinking Public Comment
The incoming majority also inherits a string of disputes over how the district under Republican control spent money and managed public input. In September, the board approved Ragsdale's request for $1.2 million from the district's fund balance to buy five additional vapor wake K-9s and hire five handlers, a vote that passed 5-2, according to the Cobb County Courier. A motion to delay that vote failed 4-3 along party lines, with Democratic Post 3 member Leroy Tre' Hutchins voting to delay before ultimately voting to approve the purchase.
Heather Tolley-Bauer, co-founder of the watchdog group Watching the Funds – Cobb, said she hopes the Democratic-led board will initiate a forensic audit of district spending, specifically flagging contracts approved with Servius and Vapor Wake for scrutiny. Her group has documented and criticized the board's spending choices for five years.
Tolley-Bauer said she hopes Ragsdale and the three remaining Republican board members understand that voters' wishes are clear, adding that residents want collaboration, civility, respect, cooperation and fiscal responsibility. Her comments echo years of friction over how the GOP majority ran meetings: in 2019, that majority voted to scrap a portion of meetings reserved for free discussion, citing concerns that some topics raised were political, and implemented a rule requiring at least three colleagues — including at least one Republican — to support an initiative before it could reach the agenda.
Years of Tightening Rules on Public Comment
The board also progressively restricted how residents could address it in person. In 2021, it limited how many people could speak during public comment and how long they could speak; in 2022, it began requiring people to sign up in person to speak at meetings; and in 2023, it required speakers to line up outdoors rather than in the lobby. In 2025, Republican board members approved a policy ending broadcasts of the public-comment portion of meetings altogether. At an October 15 meeting, the public-comment segment was not recorded or streamed, unlike the rest of the proceedings, according to WABE.
Cobb County's library removals have also stirred controversy in recent months, with 37 books taken off school shelves so far, according to the county, as reported by WABE. Garza's win mirrors a broader statewide shift Democrats saw this cycle, including challenger Lydia Powell unseating Republican incumbent Richard Woods in the race for state superintendent. It also follows the path set by Democrats Charisse Davis and Jaha Howard, who took office on the Cobb board in 2019 after ousting Republican incumbents.
