Live updates: Columbus 2026 election results for mayor, council, school board
The polls have closed in Muscogee County, and the complete results are in from Tuesday’s election day.
Whether they voted early at advance locations or through the mail, or whether they voted Tuesday during election day at 25 precincts around the county, Columbus residents made their choices for the nonpartisan public offices of mayor, city council and school board.
If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in any of these races, a June 16 runoff between the top two vote-getters will decide the winner.
These vote totals are from the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office, with all 25 precincts completely reporting Tuesday night. The elections board is scheduled to meet May 26 to certify the results and consider the 17 provisional ballots, plus outstanding military ballots postmarked Tuesday and received by Friday., elections director Nancy Boren told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Columbus mayor
If former city manager Isaiah Hugley wins this race, he would be the first Black candidate elected mayor in the 198-year history of Columbus.
A.J. McClung is considered the first Black mayor of a major Southern city when, as Mayor Pro Tem, he served for 52 1/2 days as interim mayor of Columbus after J.R. Allen died in a plane crash in 1973.
Hugley’s main challenger in experience, name recognition and campaign money raised is Columbus Councilor Joanne Cogle of District 7. She is among the seven out of 10 councilors who voted to fire Hugley last year.
If she wins, Cogle would be the second woman elected mayor of Columbus, following Teresa Tomlinson (2011-19).
The other four mayoral candidates are:
- Chris Breault, a lawyer who specializes in personal injury cases.
- Jaketra Bryant, a licensed professional counselor.
- Steven Kelly, a U.S. Army veteran who co-owns S&J Contractors.
- Mark LaJoye, a U.S. Army veteran who worked in the Columbus Police Department for 13 years and lost five elections while running as a Republican to be Muscogee County sheriff.
The winner will be sworn into office in January. Mayor Skip Henderson can’t be on the ballot because city law limits the mayor to two four-year terms.
10:12 p.m. (Complete reporting, according to the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office)
- Hugley - 16,315 (44.68%)
- Cogle - 9,188 (25.17%)
- Breault - 4,718
- Bryant - 3,460
- LaJoye - 1,861
- Kelly - 968
With no candidate receiving a majority of the votes, the top two vote-getters, Hugley and Cogle, will compete in a runoff election June 16.
Columbus Council District 1
The 10-member council’s District 1 seat is filled by Byron Hickey, who isn’t seeking reelection. Competing for the seat are licensed professional counselor Simi Barnes, daughter of the late Councilor Jerry “Pops” Barnes, and retired Columbus police officer Karen Gaskins.
The following election results are from the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office, with all precincts completely reporting:
Barnes won the race, receiving about 60% of the vote, while Gaskins received 40%.
Hickey initially filed in August to run for mayor but withdrew from that race in January, citing a health concern. So the race for the council’s District 1 seat is a special election, and the winner will be immediately sworn into office after the results are certified, instead of waiting until January to fill the remainder of Hickey’s four-year term, which ends in January.
District 1 also has a regular election on the ballot, and the winner of that race — with Barnes and Gaskins still the only candidates — will take office in January.
Columbus Council District 3
The council’s District 3 seat is filled by Bruce Huff, who isn’t seeking reelection. Competing for the seat are veteran and entrepreneur Sherrie Aaron, pastor and educator Jake Golden IV and filmmaker Zack Lee.
The following election results are from the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office, with all precincts completely reporting:
Aaron won the race, receiving about 56% of the vote, while Lee is in second place with about 24%. Golden is in third place with about 20% of the vote.
Columbus Council District 5
The candidates are Councilor Charmaine Crabb, who works in property management and real estate, and 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
Columbus Council District 7
The candidates are financial services and insurance professional Laketha Ashe, communications professional Chiara Richardson and Dragonfly Trails executive director Becca Zajac. Cogle is the council’s District 7 representative, but she chose to run for mayor.
With all precincts reporting, including advance voting and 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:
- 1,135 votes for Becca Zajac
- 946 votes for Laketha Ashe
- 429 votes for Chiara Richardson
With no candidate receiving a majority of the votes, the top two vote-getters, Zajac and Ashe, will compete in a runoff election June 16.
Columbus Council District 9
In a 6-3 vote, the council appointed former mayor candidate John Anker to the citywide District 9 seat the same day former Councilor Judy Thomas resigned for health reasons in March 2025.
Anker, founder and president of Ankerpak, is now running as an incumbent for the seat His opponents are dentist Cathy Cook, U.S. Army veteran Rocky Marsh and Valdosta State University visiting political science professor John Van Doorn.
All four candidates are running in the special election and the regular election for the District 9 seat. The city charter requires a special election to fill the vacancy because Anker was appointed until a special election could be held and certified.
So the winner of the special election will be sworn in after the result is certified, and the winner of the regular election will be sworn in after the four-year term expires in January.
10:09 p.m. (Complete reporting, according to the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office)
Regular election:
- Cook - 13,308 (37.36%)
- Anker - 12,476 (35.03%)
- Marsh - 6,605
- Van Doorn - 3,231
With no candidate receiving a majority of the votes, the top two vote-getters, Cook and Anker, will compete in a runoff election June 16.
Special election:
- Cook - 13,389 (37.57%)
- Anker - 12,316 (34.46%)
- Marsh - 6,715
- Van Doorn - 3,215
With no candidate receiving a majority of the votes, the top two vote-getters, Cook and Anker, will compete in a runoff election June 16.
Muscogee County School District Board
Only three of the five seats on the 10-member Muscogee County School District Board have contested races on the ballot.
In District 6, the candidates are incumbent Mark Cantrell, who co-owns Action Buildings, and challenger Bob Roth, a retired U.S. Army colonel.
Cantrell won with 4,646 votes to Roth’s 1,425 votes.
In District 8, the candidates are incumbent Margot Schley, a community volunteer whose professional background is in banking, and challenger Joshua Smith, a team leader at Kia Motors.
Schley won with 2,364 votes to Smith’s 1,162 votes.
For the countywide at-large seat, the candidates are incumbent Kia Chambers, a licensed real estate broker, brokerage owner and former teacher, and challengers Sadiyah Abdullah, a former teacher, principal and MCSD administrator, and Kevin Miller, who hasn’t replied to the Ledger-Enquirer’s requests for an interview and information about him.
Chambers won with 22,877 votes to Miller’s 6,719 votes and Abdullah’s 5,155 votes.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 8:49 PM.
