Last year, in late October, Lynette Burnette rang up Cobb Elections Director Janine Eveler. She had gotten busy with work, and was considering dropping out of the Kennesaw City Council special election.
Early voting, however, had already begun, and it was too late for her name to be taken off the ballot.
The only option at that point was to withdraw — her name would have stayed on the ballot, but votes cast for her would not have counted. Burnette, one of seven candidates, decided to remain in the race.
“I said, ‘Let’s just wait and see what happens here,’” she said.
A few weeks later, she was being sworn in as the new member of the council, representing Post 1. She told the MDJ in an interview that her work has since calmed down, and she has the time to tend her duties as a councilwoman.
A mother, grandmother and longtime resident, Burnette said she wants to give back to the community through service.
“I care about my community,” Burnette said. “I love Kennesaw, that’s home. It’s a period in my life now that … I have the time to do it. My seven grandchildren will be raised in this area, so I care about this community and the future of it.”
In the November election, Burnette received 1,755 votes (18.27%). Second-place finisher Madelyn Orochena received 1,726 votes (17.96%).
The five-member Kennesaw council is elected citywide.
Kennesaw roots
Burnette was born in Charleston, South Carolina. Her family moved to Cobb when her father, who was in the military, was stationed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. She attended McEachern High School before her family moved to Virginia, where she graduated high school.
Burnette studied business at Wytheville Community College in Virginia. She moved back to Cobb 27 years ago, and has lived here since.
She has worked since 2001 at Cobb County International Airport, in various functions….
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