How Christian Nationalism became a hot topic in Columbus elections. What to know
Columbus Councilor Joanne Cogle’s mayoral campaign paid approximately $22,000 to a political consulting firm whose president described himself as a “Christian Nationalist” on social media. Cogle cut ties with the firm after screenshots surfaced, but the move drew reactions from rival candidates and a defense from the consultant’s sister.
Here are key takeaways:
• Cogle’s campaign made six payments totaling $22,600 to Magnolia Grove Consultants between Aug. 11, 2025, and Jan. 6, 2026, according to campaign disclosures. The firm’s president, Ben Garcia, managed Cogle’s campaign.
• Garcia previously identified as a “Christian Nationalist” on his Instagram profile. He has since deleted that description. Columbus mayor and council seats are nonpartisan offices.
• Cogle said she dropped Garcia and his firm in late January or early February. “These views recently came to my attention and do not align with my personal values or with the nonpartisan approach that defines my campaign,” she said.
• Columbus Councilor John Anker, running for the citywide District 9 seat, remains listed as a Magnolia Grove client. He said he hired the firm for previous campaigns but has not used them in his 2026 race. “I don’t think Ben Garcia is any kind of right-wing fanatic,” Anker said.
• Rival mayoral candidates responded. A co-chair for Isaiah Hugley’s campaign called the hiring “divisive” and questioned Cogle’s judgment. Candidate Steve Kelly stressed avoiding “unnecessary division,” and candidate Jaketra Bryant called the situation “shocking.”
• Garcia’s sister, Theresa Garcia Robertson, wife of Georgia state Sen. Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) — who also is listed as a Magnolia Grove client — defended her brother on Facebook. She wrote that she has “spoken out against the values that have commonly been associated with ‘Christian Nationalism’” and called Garcia a hard worker of whom she is proud.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. All of the Ledger-Enquirer articles linked in this piece were reported, written and edited by journalists.
