Bridget Thorne, the Republican incumbent representing District 1 on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, is seeking a second term in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Democrat Maggie Goldman, according to WABE’s reporting.
District 1 includes Johns Creek and parts of Alpharetta, Roswell and Sandy Springs. Thorne took office Jan. 1, 2023, after winning election in November 2022, according to her county biography.
In the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire, Thorne identified property taxes, access to county services and public safety as priorities.
“North Fulton families work hard for every dollar, and their tax bill should reflect that,” she said.
Background and public service
Thorne earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial design and an MBA from Georgia Tech, according to her county biography. She attended on a track scholarship and was inducted into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
She described herself in the questionnaire as a professional software designer and said she completed Lean Six Sigma training to help improve county operations.
Thorne said she and her husband, Kenny, raised four children in North Fulton and now have a grandson.
Before taking office, she said, she served on the Alpharetta Parks Visionary Committee, the Alpharetta High School Foundation Board and Young Men’s Service League boards. Her county biography also credits her with co-founding the North Fulton Track Club.
In August, the county announced her reappointment to three National Association of Counties committees, covering economic development, international economic development and large urban counties.
Taxes, growth and housing
Thorne said she has opposed millage-rate increases and would continue doing so. She also called for accurate commercial-property assessments and said data centers and other large developments should cover their demands on power, water and county services.
“Rising assessments should not quietly become a spending increase,” she said.
An unchanged millage rate can still produce higher taxes when taxable property values rise. Fulton County’s September tax notice describes its proposed 8.87-mill rate as a 0.54% increase above the rollback rate of 8.822 mills.
On housing and development, Thorne said county government should respect municipal zoning authority and support existing neighborhoods.
Transparency and the county jail
Thorne said she has supported including contracts with commission agenda items, limiting county staff involvement in certain commissioner events and directing passport fees to the General Fund.
She also said she opposed a $2 billion jail replacement proposal and supported an alternative involving renovations and additional capacity.
In April, the commission unanimously approved an initial bond-financing resolution for up to $1.3 billion for a jail improvement program that includes a new special-purpose facility and renovations to the existing Rice Street Jail.
Asked about the best advice she had received, Thorne answered: “Listen first.”
Responses were collected through the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire and excerpted or paraphrased for length. Policy positions and claims about Thorne’s record are attributed to her unless supported by the linked sources.
