This morning, surrounded by friends and family, DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson officially qualified for the race to succeed Michael Thurmond as CEO of DeKalb County. This was part of a full day of campaign activities, starting with a prayer call led by faith leaders from around the county, and culminating with a fundraiser this evening.
The highlight of the day was a press conference at the campaign’s new headquarters on Memorial Drive in the heart of the county, symbolic of the Commissioner’s intent to be a CEO for the entire county.
“In my time in office as the Commissioner for Super District 7, I have been laser-focused on
delivering for my constituents throughout the county. I am extremely proud of what my office has
been able to deliver in terms of completed projects, services delivered, and constituent
responses” Cochran-Johnson noted during the press conference.
“Now, I am eager to bring that spirit and energy to the CEO’s office. We have become too accustomed to the status quo in DeKalb. We’ve been conditioned to accept ‘good enough’. We have too many great people, too many resources, and too much talent in this county for that to be the way. This campaign isn’t going to be about business as usual. This is about bringing a new vision, new ambition, and
new vitality to DeKalb County. This campaign is about ‘Government Reimagined.’”
Lorraine Cochran-Johnson was first elected to the DeKalb County Commission in 2018. As a
first-time candidate for office, she beat incumbent Commissioner Greg Adams in a primary
runoff election, garnering over 67 percent of the vote. She was unopposed in the general election that
year. She was re-elected to office in 2022, this time securing over 77 percent of the vote in the primary
and avoiding a runoff despite having two opponents on the ballot. She was once again
unopposed in the general election that year.
Before entering into electoral politics, Cochran-Johnson had long-established herself in the
fields of media and business. She began her career at the legendary Creative Loafing
alternative newspaper in Atlanta, GA. She would eventually go on to serve in various publisher
and editorial roles with papers around the region, including the historic Atlanta Daily World and
the Atlanta Tribune. She would go on to also found her own business, a line of fashionable
eyewear, as well as serve as a professor at the Art Institute of Atlanta.
Cochran-Johnson holds a BA in Political Science and Criminal Justice, an MA in Criminal
Justice from Troy University, an MPA from Auburn University, attended John Marshall Law
School, and holds an Executive Education Certificate in Delivering Public Services: Efficiency,
Equity, and Quality from the Harvard Kennedy School. She currently resides in Stonecrest, GA
with her husband.
For more information about Cochran-Johnson’s record, accomplishments, and platform, go to
https://lorrainefordekalbceo.com.
Paid for by Lorraine Cochran-Johnson for DeKalb CEO. Andrew Heaton, Campaign Manager. Approved
by Lorraine Cochran-Johnson
