AJC Politics: Ex-Democrat Mesha Mainor launches GOP bid for state school superintendent

Former Democratic state Rep. Mesha Mainor, who switched parties after breaking with Democrats on private school vouchers, is running for state school superintendent as a Republican.

Her 2023 defection made her the first Black woman to serve as a Republican in the General Assembly. Democrats quickly disowned her, and she lost her liberal Atlanta-based seat in November to Democrat Bryce Berry, who campaigned on his opposition to vouchers.

Now she’s challenging GOP incumbent Richard Woods, who recently filed paperwork to seek a fourth term. Another Republican in the race is Randell Trammell, the chief executive of the Center for Civic Engagement.

“Education shouldn’t be political — it should be personal,” Mainor said, pledging to fight “radical Democrats” and burdensome teachers unions.

“I’m running to give parents a voice, protect our children, and make Georgia the number one place to educate a child no matter where the child lives,” she said.

Mainor had a long history of flouting her party that went beyond the private school voucher bill.

She also voted to give state more power to investigate district attorneys, ban COVID-19 vaccination requirements and restrict local governments from passing budgets that “defund” the police.

She won’t be the first party-switching Democrat to seek higher office as a Republican. Former Govs. Nathan Deal and Sonny Perdue made the leap successfully.

More recently, then-state Rep. Vernon Jones, a former chief executive of DeKalb County, endorsed Donald Trump’s reelection bid and later flipped to the GOP.

But longtime Republicans never forgot his liberal voting record and history of misconduct as he waged failed campaigns in 2022, first for governor and then the U.S. House.

This story appeared in AJC Politics, to read the full story there, please click here.