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NGA CAN's Progressive Picks: Bartow County on May 19, 2026
- May 16
- 6 min read
About These Voter Guides
North Georgia Community Action Network (NGA CAN) is built on a simple principle: democracy works when everyone participates, and it works better when ordinary people—not billionaires and corporations—drive the decisions that affect our lives.
Our membership is genuinely diverse. We have leftists and progressives, Democrats and Independents, libertarians and anarchists, and yes, even some Republicans. We have people who disagree on plenty of things.
What unites us is not a single ideology, but shared commitments:
Transparency in government. We believe decisions that affect our communities should be made in public, with input from the people they affect.
Real access to democracy. We fight for voting rights, fair elections, and an end to gerrymandering and voter suppression.
Civic engagement. We believe ordinary people should have a seat at the table—in city council meetings, school board meetings, county commissions, and state legislatures.
People over billionaires. We oppose the consolidation of power in the hands of wealthy individuals and corporations that can buy elections, block affordable housing, raise utility rates, and dodge accountability.
We Are Unapologetically Progressive
Our voter guides are assembled by NGA CAN using publicly available candidate information, endorsements, and platforms. They reflect our research into who will advance these shared values in the races we cover.
We are unapologetically progressive in these guides. That is intentional, not accidental. NGA CAN was founded on progressive, common-sense values—the belief that government should work for working people, that public services matter, that the environment is worth protecting, that everyone deserves healthcare and a decent wage. Our guides reflect that perspective.
This does not mean candidates who aren't our top pick are "bad." Politics is not binary. A candidate might excel on government transparency but disagree with us on healthcare policy. Another might prioritize environmental protection differently than we do. Our guides are written for people whose north star is progressivism—but we respect that your north star might point somewhere else entirely.
How to Use These Guides
These guides are tools for thinking, not commands for voting. We research candidates' stated positions, endorsements, track records, and willingness to be accountable. We share what we find.
You should:
Read the information critically
Research candidates on your own
Attend candidate forums and debates
Talk to your neighbors about who they support and why
Vote according to your values, not ours
Voting Information
Election Day: May 19, 2026, 7 AM to 7 PM
Early Voting: April 27 through May 15 (ENDED)
Check your registration and sample ballot: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov
Bartow County Elections: https://www.bartowcountyga.gov/departments/elections
Statewide Races
For NGA CAN's picks in statewide races (Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, Insurance Commissioner, State School Superintendent, Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Senate, Georgia Supreme Court, and Public Service Commission), see:
U.S. House District 11
NGA CAN's Progressive Pick: Barry Wolfert
This district covers parts of Bartow County. For NGA CAN's full analysis of U.S. House District 11, see the Barry Wolfert profile at https://www.ngacan.org/post/meet-barry-wolfert-running-to-reclaim-georgia-s-11th-congressional-district.
The Democratic primary features two candidates: Barry Wolfert, a Marietta-based real estate professional with 20+ years helping families find homes, and Chris Harden, a Cherokee County attorney with experience in estate planning, probate law, and juvenile advocacy. Both are running to challenge Republican incumbent Barry Loudermilk in November.
Wolfert brings a laser focus on healthcare affordability—specifically the collapse of Affordable Care Act enrollment following subsidy expiration. He has developed a specific legislative plan: pursuing seats on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committee to re-fund enhanced ACA subsidies for three years while developing long-term solutions. His real estate background gives him direct experience with how rising housing costs, healthcare expenses, and living costs are crushing working families. Wolfert emphasizes practical, concrete solutions over rhetoric.
Harden brings advocacy experience in juvenile courts and education, with a focus on public education strengthening and healthcare access broadly. Both candidates are genuinely progressive, but Wolfert's specificity on healthcare policy and his detailed legislative roadmap make him the stronger progressive pick for this R+12 district.
State House District 14
Bella Bautista (D, uncontested in Democratic primary) is the Democratic nominee. She will face Republican incumbent Mitchell Scoggins in November.
Vote for Bella Bautista on May 19.
Bella Bautista is a civil rights activist, community advocate, and Cartersville native committed to strong public education, economic opportunity, and responsive leadership for local families. She is an Oglethorpe University graduate who studied economics and history and was a college cheerleader. Her activism includes testifying before the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia State Senate on civil rights issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities, speaking at pro-LGBTQ+ rights rallies at the State Capitol, and advocating against discriminatory policies. Her campaign priorities include strengthening public education and creating economic opportunities in the district. Bautista brings direct advocacy experience and a lived commitment to civil rights, standing up before the legislature for marginalized communities. She is running to challenge Republican incumbent Mitchell Scoggins, who has held this district for multiple terms.
State House District 15
Lauren Jones (D, uncontested in Democratic primary) is the Democratic nominee. She will face Republican incumbent Matthew Gambill in November.
Vote for Lauren Jones on May 19.
Lauren Jones is a freight broker, devoted wife and mother of three, and active community member in Cartersville. She has been deeply involved in community organizing, including participation in No Kings protests and Ice Out organizing around immigration enforcement. Her campaign focuses on affordable healthcare for working families, immigration reform that upholds the law while recognizing the role hardworking people play in Georgia's economy, and support for healthcare workforce development and local health infrastructure. Jones brings hands-on community engagement and advocacy experience to her candidacy.
Important notice about this race: Antonio "Tony" Burnette was running as a Democratic candidate in this race but was disqualified after qualifying. Burnette's name will still appear on the ballot, but any votes cast for him will be void and will not be counted. The Bartow County Elections Office has posted notices about this disqualification. Your vote for Lauren Jones will count; any votes for Burnette will not.
Bartow County Schools Board of Education District 1
Andrea Jude (D, uncontested in Democratic primary) is the Democratic nominee. She will face Republican opponent Travis Jordan in November.
Vote for Andrea Jude on May 19.
Andrea Jude is a community relations manager bringing professional experience and commitment to community engagement. She is the Democratic nominee for Board of Education District 1.
Bartow County Schools Board of Education District 2
This is a Republican primary race only. No Democratic candidate is running.
Incumbent Republican Darla Williams (digital content creator and CEO at Georgia Media Group) is competing against Republican challenger Frank Bennett (pastor at Lake Point Church) in the May 19 Republican primary. Bennett is a former educator with 12 years of classroom experience and has brought six children through Bartow County schools. He emphasizes transparency in school budgets and improved communication with the community. Williams is the incumbent. The winner of the Republican primary will face no Democratic opposition in November.
Bartow County Schools Board of Education District 3
Willie Coombs (D, uncontested in Democratic primary) is the Democratic nominee. He will face the winner of the Republican primary in November.
Vote for Willie Coombs on May 19.
Willie Coombs is a pastor and educator serving the Bartow County community with deep civil rights leadership credentials. Rev. Coombs has been pastoring at Greater New Fellowship for nearly 25 years in Cartersville and serves as Seventh District President of the Georgia General Missionary Baptist Convention (representing 18 counties). He is President of the Bartow County NAACP, which he reorganized, and is recognized as a preeminent ecumenical and civic leader in Georgia. He has been actively engaged in addressing race-related issues in the school district and working toward unity and inclusion in the community.
The Republican primary features three candidates: Deanna Berry, a Marine Corps veteran and chief operating officer for a real estate investment company who is also a photographer for Cartersville Uncut and has two children who attended Bartow County schools; Jeff Holland, an engineer who lives in Cassville and whose wife is a career educator; and Dr. David McKalip, a neurosurgeon. The winner will face Coombs in the November general election. Incumbent Matt Shultz did not seek reelection.
About NGA CAN: North Georgia Community Action Network (NGA CAN) is a volunteer-led progressive civic organization with thousands of members across Cherokee, Pickens, Bartow, Forsyth, Cobb, and surrounding Georgia counties. We work to advance democratic participation, government accountability, and progressive values in our communities. Learn more at https://www.ngacan.org.
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