MARIETTA — Cobb school board member David Banks and vice chair David Morgan beat their first-time candidate opponents and will be returning to the board in January.

Morgan won the majority of the votes to keep his southwest Cobb Post 3 seat and Banks won the northeast Cobb Post 5 seat.

In west central Cobb, Republican candidates Brad Wheeler and Larry Darnell are heading to a runoff on Aug. 21. The winner of that election will take on Democratic incumbent Alison Bartlett in the Nov. 6 general election.

Republican candidate Randy Scamihorn ran unopposed to replace Lynnda Eagle, who represents Allatoona, North Cobb and Kennesaw Mountain high schools. Scamihorn will take the seat in January.

POST 3

After Tuesday’s primary, Morgan will continue to represent South Cobb and Pebblebrook high schools. No Republicans qualified for the seat.

Morgan got 3,518 votes, or 56 percent, while Bobby J. Allen got 764 of votes, or 12 percent, and Karyn A. Harrison got 2,019 votes, or 32 percent. There are 46,119 registered voters in Post 3.

“It’s looking promising and if I am fortunate enough to win, I will continue to relentlessly advocate for children and student achievement. I’ve had some great volunteers who phone banked for me (Tuesday),” said Morgan, a 40-year-old Austell resident.

Morgan spent the evening with his family at home. He raised about $4,500 in contributions throughout his campaign.

One of the two first-time candidates vying for his seat was 50-year-old Harrison.

“It’s been very exciting,” she said about the election day. “I was relieved that at 7:01 p.m. to be driving home.”

Harrison spent the evening with friends and family at her Mableton home watching the TV and computer as the results rolled in.

Throughout the day, she visited every poll in her district, holding signs and waving to voters.

Since joining the campaign trail in May, she raised $2,500.

Morgan’s second opponent, Powder Springs resident Allen, spent the election night with family and friends at his Austell office.

“I’ve not been nervous for whatever reason, but I don’t know if that’s due to a lack of experience or not, but I’ve done the best the job that I could have done,” he said late Tuesday night.

Allen, 45, is originally from Mississippi but has lived in Cobb since 1995. He is a professor at Shorter University and a math coach with Atlanta Public Schools.

He ended up drawing in around $5,000 in donations throughout the campaign.

POST 5

The Post 5 seat, which represents Lassiter and Pope high schools, was won once again by Banks. No Democratic candidates qualified for the position.

Banks got 7,476 votes, or 50 percent, while Lisa B. Hanson got 5,489 votes, or 37 percent, and Stephanie Henry got 1,972 votes, or 13 percent. There are 61,295 registered voters in Post 5.

Banks, one of the more outspoken board members, has held his seat since January 2009.

When asked about the results Tuesday night, he was a little upset with the numbers, saying he expected to get between 60 and 70 percent of the votes in his post.

“That’s kind of disappointing, but as long as I get the 50 plus one, I’m happy,” he said while talking over the nearly 20 people at his home Tuesday night.

During his re-election campaign, Banks raised around $4,000 in contributions and took out $20,000 in loans.

Like Morgan, Banks’ two opponents were first-time candidates.

Hanson, 50, is the mother of two who lives in the Cobb portion of Roswell.

“This has been a particularly aggressive race which is amazing for me for a school board, but if there is a runoff I am looking forward to that,” she said when viewing the early results.

On Tuesday, she continued speaking to her supporters, putting up signs and taking phone calls from constituents still considering whom to vote for.

“It was a good day, and if we have to have a run-off, I’m in it to win,” she said.

Hanson spent the election night at Lucia’s Restaurant off Woodstock Road in Roswell. Throughout the campaign, she raised around $4,200 in contributions.

Banks’ second opponent, 46-year-old Henry, spent election night at Keegan’s restaurant in Kennesaw but called it an early night because her son begins early-morning football practices today.

She is a Roswell resident and the mother of five with experience in retail management and volunteering with various children’s organizations.

She announced her candidacy at the end of May and has not filed any campaign finance reports.

POST 7

In the Republican Primary for the west central Cobb school board seat, three first-time candidates were running to face off against Bartlett in November, but only two of them will be competing in a runoff.

Larry Darnell got 3,119 votes, or 33 percent, while Heather M. Ryan got 3,043 votes, or 32 percent, and Brad Wheeler got 3,398 votes, or 36 percent. There are 55,290 registered voters in Post 7.

Bartlett was first elected in 2008, but the district was reapportioned this year to include more of west Cobb. She represents Harrison, McEachern and Hillgrove high schools.

Wheeler, 57, is a retired school administrator originally from upstate New York. He taught and coached at Pebblebrook High for 17 years and was an administrator at McEachern High for nine years. He still fills in as a substitute administrator in Cobb schools.

“I appreciate all the people that supported me and everything they did for me,” he said.

The Powder Springs resident has raised around $1,500 in contributions since announcing his candidacy at the end of May.

Darnell, 60, who was pulled into Bartlett’s post after Georgia legislators realigned the district, is following in his father’s footsteps by running for the board. The Powder Springs resident’s father Jack Darnell served on the school board in the late 1960s and ’70s.

“It’s so close. I’m shocked it’s a three-way,” Darnell said a little after 11 p.m. Tuesday while reviewing the early results. “I was expecting some closeness between me and Brad, but I’m shocked that Heather’s right up there with us.”

He spent the election night at home with his wife, Karen, and said he ended up raising around $1,200 in contributions throughout the race.

Ryan, 46, decided in April to run for the Post 7 seat because of a controversial renovation project at Harrison High School. She said she wants to the board to get back to “what’s best for the students.”

“I’m just very grateful for the support I’ve gotten and the way that I’ve chosen to go a completely different route than anybody else,” she said around 11 p.m. Tuesday. “All three of us stand for really the same things. I’ve met the other two gentleman, we’ve talked and I think any one of us would do a great job. I’d like to see myself there but I’m just grateful at how it’s coming out.”

She started the election night off at Marietta Pizza Company in Marietta with friends and family and ended it at her home in Acworth with a dessert party.

Throughout her campaign, she declined to raise any money but said that if she ended up in a runoff or taking on Bartlett in November, she’d go into campaign fundraising mode.

POST 1

The only unopposed candidate in the races for the school board was former Cobb Schools administrator Scamihorn.

The 62-year-old Kennesaw resident has lived in Cobb for more than 30 years. He should be sworn in to represent the schools in northwest Cobb in January.

According to his June 30 campaign finance report, Scamihorn took out $5,000 in loans and has a balance of $2,672.