Georgia leaders warn the five-county elections bill is a calculated strike at hard-won political pow
A battle is brewing under the Gold Dome. Georgia House Bill 369 — a measure that would strip party labels from local elections in five of the state’s most populous counties — has cleared both legislative chambers and now sits on Governor Brian Kemp’s desk, awaiting his signature or veto before a critical deadline. For a coalition of political, business, faith, and community leaders who gathered at Liberty Plaza on Thursday, April 16, the stakes could not be higher.
HB 369 would make elections for district attorneys, solicitors general, county commissioners, tax commissioners, court clerks, and school board members nonpartisan in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton counties — and only those five counties. The remaining 154 counties across Georgia would see no change whatsoever. That selective targeting is precisely what has galvanized a broad and growing wave of opposition.
Why Leaders Say This Bill Is About Power, Not Policy
The press conference drew an impressive cross-section of voices. Fulton County Commissioner Rob Pitts, Georgia Reps. Jasmine Clark and Terry Cummings, Atlanta Black Chambers President Melvin Coleman, Atlanta North Georgia Labor Council President Sandra Lee Williams, Atlanta Business League President Leona Davenport, and Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda Executive Director Helen Butler were among those who stepped forward to make their case publicly.
Their central argument is straightforward— the bill is not about improving election integrity — it is about reshaping political outcomes in counties where residents have consistently exercised their right to vote for Democratic leadership.
DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson raised pointed questions about the bill’s scope, asking why it targets five counties rather than all 159 across the entire state if fairness and election integrity are truly the goal.
The opposition also highlights a troubling origin story. HB 369 was originally written to provide new regulations on mobile food trucks and was authored by a former state representative now under indictment for stealing pandemic unemployment funds. The bill’s language was gutted and replaced through a Senate ethics committee amendment — a process critics have labeled a ‘zombie bill’ tactic designed to bypass the normal legislative process.
Five Counties. Five Targets. One Pattern.
The five counties named in HB 369 are home to five local district attorneys who are all women, and four county commission chairs who are also from the same community — a fact that opponents say is no coincidence. The pattern has not gone unnoticed.
Partnership for Southern Equity VP for Strategy and Engagement Joel Alvarado drew a sharp comparison to a well-known discriminatory housing practice. He described HB 369 as political redlining — an attempt to tell the rest of the state that these five counties have problems, and a calculated way to dilute the political power concentrated there. Much of that power, he said, is held by people who have spent decades fighting to earn it.
Even the 9th District Republican Party, which covers much of North Georgia, broke ranks, calling HB 369 a disastrous piece of legislation and urging Kemp to veto it. Opposition to this bill, in other words, is not neatly partisan.
The Legal and Civil Rights Alarms Are Already Ringing
Beyond the political arguments, legal experts and elected officials are warning that HB 369 may not survive a court challenge. The District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia has consistently opposed the bill, arguing that because district attorneys are state judicial branch officers rather than county officers, changing their partisan status would require a state constitutional amendment and a statewide vote.
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston has been among the most forceful voices, making clear that if Kemp signs the bill, a legal challenge will follow swiftly. Fulton County DA Fani Willis called the legislation racist, sexist, and clearly unconstitutional.
League of Women Voters President Nichola Hines framed it simply — if this bill were truly good policy, it would apply to all 159 counties, not just five. Atlanta Black Chambers President Melvin Coleman echoed that sentiment, stressing that the concerns extend well beyond party lines and asking the governor directly to veto HB 369.
The Clock Is Ticking
With Georgia’s general primary election set for May 19 and runoffs scheduled for June 16, many voters remain unaware that this legislation even exists. Leaders at Thursday’s press conference made clear that public education is now part of the mission — not just lobbying the governor, but ensuring that communities understand what is on the line.
A letter requesting a direct meeting with Kemp was hand-delivered to his office. Formal opposition letters have been submitted. And organizations including the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, the Georgia NAACP, Concerned Black Clergy, Communities United for Justice, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber have all lent their voices to the cause.
The message from this coalition is unified— veto HB 369, or prepare for a fight that will move from the Gold Dome to the courthouse.
Source: The Atlanta Voice