Columbus Council District 5 race: latest updated results in 2026 election
Here are the latest updated results for Columbus Council District 5 race in the 2026 election.
Councilor Charmaine Crabb will retain her council seat over challenger Robert Wadkins Jr., a lawyer.
With all precincts reporting, including advance voting, absentee by mail ballots and election day voting, the vote counts for each candidate stand at the following, according to the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office:
- 2,330 votes for Crabb
- 1,879 votes for Wadkins
Crabb told the Ledger-Enquirer in April she was seeking reelection to continue serving the people of Columbus as part of the transition team when the city will have a new mayor and select a new police chief and a new city manager.
“I have the experience and knowledge to make these decisions and work with them to improve our roads, right of ways, parks and facilities and keep our citizens safe,” Crabb said.
Crabb said some issues she wants to address are maintenance of roads, right of way, parks and facilities, public safety (including confirming a new police chief), the need for a new jail and the proposed hyperscale data center.
Crabb has been in property management and real estate since 1987, she said. Crabb graduated from Ambassador University in Pasadena, California, with a bachelor’s degree and majored in theology with a minor in business.
When it comes to Crabb’s community involvement and leadership roles, she said:
“I have served on the Uptown Jam committee, Neighborworks Columbus Board, Co-Chair for Keep the Freeze Committee, Care and Concern committee and Worship Committee at Living Grace Church. I currently serve on Columbus City Council District 5 “In high school I was president of our churches youth group and traveled to Texas and California for conferences. During college I held different leadership roles in Women’s Club, and was given leadership training opportunities. “Columbus Board of Realtors, I served as a local director, GARPAC chair and state trustee, Committee Chair for Entertainment and By laws committees, Recipient of the Special Service Award, Community Service Award and Good Neighbor Award.”
Wadkins told the Ledger-Enquirer he chose to run for the District 5 Council seat because he was born and raised in Columbus and returned to start a business and raise his family.
“I want my children to have the same opportunities to do that themselves, but our city needs to be safe, strong, and thriving economically,” Wadkins said. “I believe I can help Columbus keep moving forward.”
Wadkins said he wants to restore trust in local government and said people have lost trust in the council and are “tired of political theater.”
“My aim will be to restore professionalism and efficiency in council meetings, streamline permitting and licensing processes to help small businesses open faster, review and remove outdated or ineffective ordinances, and improve transparency and responsiveness from our council seats to concerned citizens,” Wadkins said.
Wadkins said he graduated from St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School in 2001, studied history at the University of Georgia and earned a law degree from the University of Alabama in 2010.
He returned to Columbus to set up his criminal defense firm, where he has handled thousands of criminal cases in his 15-year career, he said.
Wadkins later merged with attorneys Ben Wallace and Tristan Danley to form Wadkins, Wallace & Danley.
Wadkins said he serves as board chairman for Direct Services, as treasurer for the Columbus Bar Association and as vice chairman for the Columbus Sports and Entertainment Authority.
“My campaign isn’t really about me.,” he said. “It’s about evolving a city we love, our home, into a safer, stronger, and thriving next phase — a phase of growth that our children will inherit and be proud to invest in themselves. I want to deliver a better Columbus for you today and for the next generation tomorrow.”
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 8:02 PM.