These five candidates are running in the 2026 Columbus mayoral election race

Candidates have begun filing their paperwork to run for Columbus mayor in the 2026 election, a race that won’t have an incumbent because Mayor Skip Henderson is completing the last of his two terms.

The nonpartisan election for Columbus mayor will be May 19, 2026. The qualifying period will begin March 2 at 9 a.m. and finish March 6 at noon. That’s when the official candidates will be determined for the ballot.

Here are the candidates who have filed with the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration their declaration of intention to accept campaign contributions. This list will be updated as more candidates file their declaration and is in the order that they filed to run:

Isaiah Hugley

Former city manager Isaiah Hugley filed his declaration of intention July 10 for the 2026 mayoral race.

Hugley was the first Black city manager and the longest-serving city or county manager in Columbus history before the Columbus Council voted 7-3 to fire him May 27. He worked for the Columbus Consolidated Government for 41 years, including 20 years as city manager.

If successful, Hugley would be the first elected Black mayor of Columbus. He also would be the third member of his family elected to public office in Columbus, following his wife, state Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus), and his sister, Pat Hugley Green, the District 1 representative and chairwoman of the Muscogee County School Board.

“Please know that my Declaration of Intent filing today is intended to be a clear message to the citizens of Columbus,” Hugley wrote to the Ledger-Enquirer in a text message July 10. “It’s time for leadership that listens, innovates and unites. My vision is simple but bold — a Columbus that works for everyone. Now the work begins!”

Hugley is chairing his campaign committee, and Fernando Verdree is his treasurer, according to his declaration of intention to accept campaign contributions.

Mark LaJoye

Mark LaJoye, a former Republican candidate for Muscogee County sheriff is now in the Columbus mayoral race.

LaJoye, who has run for sheriff and lost five times, filed his paperwork July 11 to be a candidate for mayor.

He lost to John Darr in 2008 and 2012, Donna Tompkins in 2016 and Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman in 2020 and 2024.

LaJoye served in the U.S. Army for 40 years and worked for the Columbus Police Department for 13 years. He earned a master’s of law degree from St. Louis University, and a bachelor’s and an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Troy University, the Ledger-Enquirer reported.

LaJoye hopes to focus on issues including community safety, fiscal responsibility, transparency and infrastructure, he told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email July 14. He wants to lead with transparency and help manage the city’s “recovery from scandal and questionable standards.”

“My disappointment in our current leaders has driven me to this mayoral race,” LaJoye said. “I’m called to serve. I uphold the high standards I was raised with, have served by, and continue to practice both personally and as Mayor of Columbus, Georgia.”

LaJoye is chairing his campaign committee, and Regina Liparoto is his treasurer, according to his declaration of intention to accept campaign contributions.

Steven Kelly

Steven Kelly filed paperwork July 21 to run for mayor after a friend encouraged him to run, he told the Ledger-Enquirer.

His campaign committee chairperson is Ricardo Green, and his treasurer is Kourtnee Cannon, according to his declaration of intention to accept campaign contributions.

Kelly, originally from Rochester, New York, is a small-business owner and a disabled veteran who served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, he said. He earned his MBA from Georgia Southern University.

He moved to Columbus from El Paso, Texas, to be closer to family. While Kelly co-owns S&J Contractors, he has spent most of the last year focused on spending time with his family and raising his daughter, he said.

Kelly said his top priority as mayor would be focusing on public safety and reducing crime.

“That’s why I support events like National Night Out on Aug. 5,” Kelly wrote in his email to the Ledger-Enquirer. “I would also like to see more initiatives that create positive outlets and activities for our youth and support the end of poverty in Columbus.”

Kelly’s other priorities include investing in infrastructure and economic growth.

“I believe leadership starts with integrity and accountability,” he said. “I’m committed to rebuilding community morale while driving responsible economic development that benefits every neighborhood.”

Joanne Cogle

Columbus Councilor Joanne Cogle of District 7 filed to run for mayor on Aug. 1.

Cogle has served on the Columbus Council since 2022. She is a former educator and owns the Crossfit CSG gym.

She has focused her time on the council to transparency, safety and infracstructure, according to an Aug. 1 news release, and wants to deliver “practical solutions.”

Her campaign for mayor will focus on:

• Improving public safety by expanding community-based solutions
• Fixing city infrastructure with attention to neglected neighborhoods
• Growing the local economy by supporting small businesses and workforce development

Cogle vows to meet with residents across the city over the campaign to “hear directly from them about what’s working and what’s not.”

“I’m running for mayor because I believe we can make city government work better for everyone by focusing on common sense solutions, restoring trust and investing in the future of our city,” Cogle said in the news release.

Cogle is chairing her campaign committee, and Stephanie McPherson is her treasurer, according to her declaration of intention to accept campaign contributions..

Jaketra Bryant

Jaketra Bryant filed her declaration of intent to accept campaign contributions for this race Sept. 8. Samuel Whitt is her campaign chairman, according to the document.

Bryant is a licensed professional counselor, author, researcher and leadership coach. She is a Georgia native with a master’s degree in community counseling.

She worked alongside a team of eight women in the Georgia Women’s Policy Institute to get the Survivor Justice Act passed in Georgia. The law creates the infrastructure to ensure that a history of abuse is considered in determining a person’s culpability and sentence.

Bryant’s compassion and skills as a counselor will help her see overlooked neighborhoods and understand those struggling with their mental health, she told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email.

She plans to focus on issues including education, health, mental health, crime and drugs.

“As I run for mayor, my goal is to pull the community closer along the way,” Bryant said in the email.

In 2021, Bryant sued Calvary Christian School, alleging racial and disability discrimination against her son. Bryant lost the lawsuit two years later, when Judge Clay Land granted the school summary judgment.

Bryant is continuing to fight the case, she said. In May of this year, she won her appeal of the summary judgment in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which means Bryant has a chance to take the case forward.

“We are awaiting a possible trial now,” she said.

This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 12:33 PM with the headline "These five candidates are running in the 2026 Columbus mayoral election race."