As the curtains fall on the controversial candidacy of former Cobb County School Board member Dr. Jaha Howard, it becomes evident that the “kneeling dentist” has met his Waterloo in the March 11, 2025, runoff against Erick Allen.
Political observers note that Howard’s campaign imploded due to a lack of meaningful donations, voter fatigue from his repeated appearances on the ballot, and general weariness of his contentious behavior.
Howard’s campaign was largely self-funded, indicating a lack of public resonance. His tenure on the Cobb County School Board was marked by numerous conflicts with various public officials, often appearing to provoke emotions deliberately.
In a recent online debate, opponent Erick Allen criticized this approach, stating that while agitation might suit an activist, elected leaders should not be sources of continuous chaos. Howard defended his methods by citing projects like the rebuilding of Osborne High School as successes.
However, timelines reveal that these projects commenced before Howard took office, undermining his claims.
Voter fatigue also played a role, with some expressing exhaustion over Howard’s continuous attempts to win public office. Notably, Howard has run for five different seats, securing only one victory—a 17% success rate that hardly suggests widespread popularity.
As predicted, voter turnout was among the lowest the county has witnessed. Early results showed Erick Allen securing 52.37% of the vote, leading by 70 votes over Howard and maintaining that lead. Howard won the ‘New Smyrna’ area, characterized by a transient population, while Allen claimed Marietta, ‘Old Smyrna,’ and Vinings.
One critic remarked that while Howard “went down swinging,” he was merely “swinging at windmills.” At the end of the night, Erick Allen emerged victorious in the special election Democratic runoff, with slightly more than 3% of voters participating to elect a representative for over 110,000 constituents.
At the end of the night, Erick Allen secured a decisive victory in the Democratic runoff election for Cobb County Commission District 2, The final tally shows Erick Allen winning 56.7% of the vote to Howards’ 43.3% of the votes cast. This outcome marked a devastating defeat for perennial candidate Dr. Jaha Howard.
Allen will now face off against Republican Candidate Alicia Adams on April 29th in the General Special Election.
The election results can be viewed on the Cobb County Elections website.
