Eshé P. Collins is currently as the immediate past Chair of the Atlanta Board of Education. (Photo: Atlanta Public Schools)Tuesday saw the runoff elections for many local races around the Metro Atlanta area. Surprisingly, Eshé Collins was not declared of the vacant citywide seat in the Atlanta City Council, defeating Nicole Evans Jones. Consequently, Collins is carrying 60% of the vote with 96% of the precincts reporting. Previously, Nicole Evans Jones led November’s race with 40% of the vote and Eshé Collins with 25%, respectively. Collins is a current member of the Atlanta School Board. She was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education in 2013 and reelected in 2017 and 2021. Consequently, Jones took to social media to voice her thoughts:“ATLANTA STRONGER is…the power of the vote,” Evans Jones said. “What a wonderful journey the last 9 months have been. I am eternally grateful and unbelievably exhausted. Thank you Atlanta.” The Atlanta School Board will hold an election on Nov. 4, 2025, for Districts 2, 4, 6, and Seat 8 At-Large. Meanwhile, Collins will have to run again if she wants to remain on the Atlanta City Council. All seats are up for election on Nov. 4, 2025. DeKalb County elects two commissioners after winning special electionsDr. LaDena Bolton wins DeKalb County Super District 7 Special Election. (Photo: X/LaDena Bolton, Ph.D.)Dr. LaDena Bolton won the Super District 7 Special Election with 9,628 votes, or 70.3%. Joining Bolton was DeKalb County CEO-elect Lorraine Cochran-Johnson at her victory party. Emphatically, Cochran-Johnson expressed optimism for the future and gratitude for the community’s support, which they believe has chosen the right candidate for the job. “The people of DeKalb got it right,” exclaimed Cochran-Johnson. “I have a Board of Commissioners who care more about people and politics. We can finally get things done, because the people of DeKalb are expecting us to turn the corner.” Particularly, Bolton acknowledges the role of branding in her success, noting her campaign’s ability to push her to the forefront within DeKalb County. recognizability and consistency, and expresses appreciation for the contributions that led to their victory. “I do want to acknowledge the whole organization,” said Bolton. “It’s not really an individual, it’s the brand that puts us over the top. We were recognizable and consistent.”Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and Nicole Massiah, Esq. pose for photographs on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 in Chamblee, Georgia. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)Bolton will replace former Super District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, who won the DeKalb County CEO’s race in June. In the special election for DeKalb County Super District 3, Nicole Massiah won with 5,491 votes, carrying 76% of the vote. Andrew W. Bell received 1,736 votes. Without a doubt, Massiah will replace Larry Johnson, after he ran for DeKalb County CEO and lost to Cochran-Johnson. “I’m excited, I’m optimistic, and when I say, I look forward to working with you,” Cochran-Johnson said to Bolton. “Because this journey is not about us as individuals. But in the words of John Kennedy, ‘the true measure of a man is not how you move as individuals, but how you move collectively.’ So this evening, let’s celebrate the win. Let’s go work, because we have work to do,  and I’m so happy that we have you. The people got it right tonight.” Markedly, DeKalb County is Georgia’s fourth-most populous county according to the 2020 Census. Currently, Cochran-Johnson is in process of constructing her action plan which will outline her goals in the first 100 days of her administration, which begins in 2025.The post Bolton and Massiah win DeKalb County Commissioner seats; Eshé Collins projected to win Atlanta City Council runoff election appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.