Roswell attorney Eric Tatum trailed Democrat Mo Ivory in the Fulton County Commission chair race on Nov. 3, with partial returns showing Ivory at 75% and Tatum at 25%.

Those unofficial results, reported by Appen Media, included advance voting, absentee ballots and partial Election Day tallies from 416 of 437 Fulton County precincts as of 12:03 a.m. Nov. 4. The Associated Press had not called the race. All results remain unofficial until certified.

The chair holds one of seven votes on the Fulton County Commission and serves a four-year term, according to the Appen Media voter guide. The next chair will face a major decision on whether to raise taxes to fund Fulton County Jail improvements.

A Roswell candidate

Tatum, 40, is a Republican who lives in Roswell and works as chief financial officer and family law partner at Banks, Stubbs & McFarland, according to a Fulton Neighbor candidate questionnaire. He has 15 years of experience practicing family and juvenile law.

He pledged to hold the county's millage rate steady, arguing the tax rate has not risen since 2022 and that an increase would fall hardest on seniors on fixed incomes. He also called for publishing contract-scoring details and written justifications whenever the county buys without competition, according to Fulton Neighbor.

Ivory, 56, is an Atlanta attorney and Georgia State University law professor who served as the District 4 commissioner before resigning to run for chair. She defeated incumbent Chair Robb Pitts in the June 16 Democratic primary runoff, Atlanta News First reported. Pitts had held the chairmanship since 2017. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens endorsed Ivory in the primary.

Ivory described conditions at the Fulton County Jail as "a humanitarian crisis" and pledged to fix the jail, fund the courts, expand healthcare and protect elections, according to the Appen Media voter guide.

Both candidates named the jail as a top priority.

District 1 covers part of Roswell

In the District 1 race, which covers Johns Creek and parts of Roswell, Alpharetta and Sandy Springs, Democrat Maggie Goldman led Republican incumbent Bridget Thorne 56.68% to 43.32% with all precincts reporting, according to Appen Media's results page. The race was a rematch of the 2022 contest, which Thorne won by less than a percentage point.

The AP also called two statewide races on election night. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governor's race, and the AP declared Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff reelected to his U.S. Senate seat, according to AP's midterm coverage.

TSPLOST and what comes next

Roswell voters also weighed in on whether to continue the 0.75% Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST). With 246 of 257 precincts reporting outside Atlanta, the measure led narrowly, 50.76% to 49.24%, according to Appen Media. The proposed collection period would run from April 1, 2027, through March 31, 2032, according to Fulton County election notices.

If a runoff is needed in any race, it is scheduled for Dec. 1. Voters can reach the Fulton County elections office at 404-612-7020.