On the off chance you haven’t noticed the campaign signs that have blossomed throughout Gwinnett County, election season has arrived. Tuesday May 21st is election day for primaries and the general election for non-partisan positions and early voting begins on April 29th.
After reviewing the candidates in what we consider critical elections, we have come up with the following analyses;
Gwinnett County Sheriff– Baron Reinhold is clearly the best candidate, having earned the endorsement of long time (retired) sheriff Butch Conway. A 35-year Navy veteran, Reinhold graduated from the US Naval Academy and has served as a commander in a number of duty stations. Reinold has identified the serious flaws of the current that have hurt morale and efficiency. He states that on day one, he will, “Expedite a FULL AUDIT– This will include operations, financials, and a contract review of the entire organization. For transparency’s sake, this audit will be published to the public. Action plans regarding the results of the audit will be published as well. The current sheriff has increased the budget FIFTY percent and is squandering taxpayer dollars. His own current and former deputies have leveled several serious allegations that merit investigation. His failed policies have destroyed morale” Reinhold will also reinstitute the highly successful “Jail dogs” program which the current sheriff has eliminated.
Gwinnett County Board of Education– In our opinion, and the opinion of numerous Gwinnett County parents, the Gwinnett Board has been an absolute disaster since the elections of 2020. Parents are upset because they view board policies as being directly responsible for the significant decline in education quality. Gwinnett schools were once rated as among the best in the state. Not any more as the board seems to focus more on a woke agenda than on education.
District 1- Leroy Ranel is the best choice. Incumbent Karen Watkins seems to have become a “yes woman” for Tarece Johnson who appears focused more on “equity” than on education.
District 3- Steve Gasper– This seat is open as the incumbent is not running for reelection. Gasper is running because his children attend Gwinnett County schools and he’s concerned about the quality of their education. He has stated, “I firmly believe that education is the cornerstone of our children’s future, and it’s time for us to come together as a community to ensure that every child receives the quality education they deserve.”
District 5- Any candidate but Tarece Johnson (now Tarece Johnson-Morgan), but preferably Patrina King. When Johnson ran in 2020, her primary focus seemed to be on race, not on education. She claimed that black students were more harshly disciplined than white students for the same type of infractions. She seems to think that the solution is no discipline at all, and that policy resulted in countless fights and other disruptions, teacher departures, and a significant decline in the quality of education.