Two candidates. Seven issues.

Made the motion to reject a proposed library policy from board member Becky Sayler. It would have created local and district media committees to review challenged books and protected award-winning titles. He said he did not want unelected people making those calls and called the plan "micromanaging the superintendent."

Said he would reinforce existing book review policies, end what he called "the secret process that has resulted in book bans," and return those decisions to school media specialists.

Wrote that Cobb has 36 official book bans and dozens more titles removed informally. That count is his.

Made the motion to set aside the hearing tribunal's recommendation and uphold the superintendent's decision to fire her. The tribunal of three retired Cobb administrators found she broke district policy but recommended against firing.

Said district leadership has played into national culture wars, citing the firing of a teacher for reading an age-appropriate book to her gifted class.

Agreed with the superintendent that the dogs work better than walk-through detectors, saying not knowing where they will be is a deterrent. Asked how their effectiveness is measured, he said he had not discussed it. On Servius, he said he did not see student targeting as a concern and could not say much more.

Said he saw no reason to delay a $1.2 million request for five more dogs and handlers, calling it "fairly cut and dry." A motion to delay failed 4-3 along party lines. Sayler and Davis cast the two no votes; Sayler's November 2025 request for data on the dogs' results had not been granted.

Said he is not confident in either program. He pointed to more than $5 million spent on the two, with no effectiveness data on the dogs, raised concerns about student profiling, and said the Servius contract never went to a board vote. He proposed secure-storage workshops with free gun locks and urging the state to fund more counselors.

"I don't think we should be spending money on unproven solutions."

Voted with the Republican majority to stop broadcasting and publishing the public comment portion of board meetings. The superintendent proposed the change, citing legal risk.

As board chair, proposed the policy that ended board members' own comment period, saying some members' remarks had become too political.

Would restore the broadcast of public comment, allow brief exchanges between board members and speakers, and loosen limits on student comment. Wants to change the rule that lets only the chair or superintendent place items on the agenda on their own.

Voted for the resolution. The three Democratic members abstained in an apparent show of protest. He argued that a concept this hard to define would be hard to teach to young children.

In a campaign Facebook post defending diversity programs, asked readers whether they would give "full throated support to DEI? To CRT?"

Posted that he was a founding organizer of the coalition whose rally demands included removing the bans on critical race theory and the 1619 Project.

Defended Ragsdale's pandemic response and said he has "done a good job."

After Ragsdale's remarks at a mandatory staff meeting drew a teacher walkout, with about 200 teachers questioned by the district, said he supported the superintendent sending a clear message about the district's direction and did not think it would demoralize staff. He called it a personnel matter and said he did not have full information.

Said the Republican members have been yes-men for Ragsdale for too long. Said he would ask more questions but wants a good working relationship and would not push dramatic action on Ragsdale's job if Democrats won a majority.

Wrote that Ragsdale's remarks about the student walkouts sold students short by calling the protests the work of outside political operatives.

Raised about $29,000, with about $17,000 cash on hand. Did not sign the state and county Republican letter demanding Garza return a donor's money.

The state campaign finance commission fined his campaign and ordered refunds for two 2022 donations over the $3,000 limit: $5,500 from state Rep. Ginny Ehrhart, who carried the 2022 map bill, and $4,000 from attorney Jonathan Crumly of Taylor English, the firm hired to draw the map. Chastain said his campaign mistakenly failed to split the contributions between elections and called the complaint baseless.

One of four Republican board members the Finn v. Cobb redistricting lawsuit's amended complaint accused of racially disparate policies. A federal judge dismissed the case as moot in September 2025.

Raised about $42,000, with about $16,000 cash on hand. His largest individual donor, Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Michael Tafelski, gave $6,000. Garza refused the Republican leaders' demand that he return it. The Cobb County Association of Educators PAC gave $2,000.

Named a Safe Schools Champion by the Human Rights Campaign, which says the title is not an endorsement.