The seemingly nonstop election cycles in Cobb County Board of Commission race continue as the remaining two Democratic candidates for District 2 Commissioner, Erick Allen and Jaha Howard, faced off in an online debate organized by the Cobb County Democratic Party. The Democratic runoff is set for March 11, with the winner taking on Republican nominee Alicia Adams in April.
Both candidates came out swinging after a brief exchange of greetings. Dentist Jaha Howard, whose campaign has struggled due to limited donor support, accused former State Representative Erick Allen of being backed by Cobb County Republicans. Allen dismissed the claim as out-of-touch politics.
Howard’s aggressive leadership style, well known from his time on the Cobb County School Board, was on full display. His tenure on the board often left members of both parties frustrated, though his bold approach frequently made for what some on social media dubbed “must-watch TV.”
During the debate, Howard proudly stated he was not afraid to “ruffle feathers,” claiming that his outspoken leadership contributed to major school district projects such as the rebuilding of Osborne High School and the Cobb Innovation & Technology Academy (CITA).
However, a fact-check challenges Howard’s claims. Osborne High School’s reconstruction began in April 2018—nine months before Howard joined the school board in January 2019. The CITA project was approved under Ed-SPLOST V, also prior to Howard’s election.
Former Cobb School Board Chairman Randy Scamihorn, who was involved in the planning, stated that to his recollection, Howard was not part of the discussions for Ed-SPLOST V. Scamihorn went on to say, “ED-SPLOST brings playgrounds, fields, and new classrooms to every corner of the county. Staff spent two years, before Jaha Howard joined the Board, listening to needs across the whole county,”
Scamihorn went on to say, “Dr. Howard spent a lot of time attacking schools and not a lot of time working as a team. Taking credit for the Board investing the most ED-SPLOST money into South Cobb is disingenuous at best,”
When asked about Howard’s most recent campaign for Cobb County Board of Commissioners, current Cobb County School Board member Randy Scamihorn from Northwest Cobb (Post 1) said he had “no dog in the fight’ but trusted the voters of District 2.
Allen responded sharply to Howard’s leadership style, arguing that controversy is not a tool for leadership but rather for activism. “Ruffling feathers is another word for chaos,” Allen said, emphasizing that his approach to governing would be more measured and collaborative.
Critics of Howard’s campaign echo similar concerns, arguing that his tenure on the school board was more focused on personal attention than student success.
One area of agreement between the candidates was the county’s failed attempt to pass a 1% sales tax increase for transportation, known as M-SPLOST. Both agreed that it would return in some form but needed clearer messaging.
Allen doubled down on his support of M-SPLOST, saying, “The referendum will likely come back, and this time, we have to make sure it’s something digestible and palatable for voters. Even if you don’t use transit, there are benefits to improved mobility in Cobb County.” Howard agreed, noting that while the measure “went down in flames,” the county has an opportunity to bring it back better.
As the debate closed, Howard acknowledged the challenges facing his campaign, stating, “I want to do things the easy-going way… but if you’re blowing smoke and lying and not being straight up with the people, then we have to do things differently.” In what seemed like a nod to an uphill battle in the runoff, Howard said that regardless of the election outcome, he planned to stay involved in Cobb County politics.
