It’s runoff election day in Columbus. What to know about candidates and voting
The May 19 election in Muscogee County didn’t finish the campaigning for some Columbus political offices.
After last week’s early voting period, a runoff election will be conducted today to decide three Columbus races because none of those candidates received a majority of the votes in their respective race:
- The runoff for the mayor’s race is between former city manager Isaiah Hugley, who received 45% of the initial round of votes among six candidates, and Columbus Councilor Joanne Cogle of District 7, who finished second with 25%. Mayor Skip Henderson couldn’t run for reelection because city law limits the mayor to two four-year terms.
- The runoff for the citywide District 9 seat on Columbus Council is between dentist Cathy Cook, who received 37% of the initial round of votes among four candidates, and Ankerpak owner John Anker, the incumbent who received 35%.
- The runoff for the 10-member city council’s District 7 seat is between Dragonfly Trails executive director Becca Zajac, who received 45% of the initial round of votes among three candidates, and insurance professional Laketha Ashe, who received 38%. Cogle couldn’t run to retain this seat because she decided to run for mayor instead.
Those three races for local offices are nonpartisan, meaning the candidates don’t officially represent a political party. But the June 16 runoff election also will include some primaries for statewide partisan races in Georgia.
Registered voters who voted in the same party’s primary or did not vote in the original primary are eligible to vote in the runoff election, according to information provided by the Muscogee County Elections and Registration Office.
Voters cannot switch parties if they have voted in another party’s primary, according to the website. If someone voted nonpartisan in the original primary, they may vote any ballot available for their precinct.
New voters who registered to vote between April 20 and May 18 will be eligible for a federal-only ballot for the June 16 runoff. Voters may check their registration and polling place information online through Georgia’s My Voter Page.
On June 16, voters must go to their assigned polling place to vote between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Anyone in line to vote before 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Georgia requires photo identification for in-person voting. Accepted forms of ID are:
- Georgia driver’s license (even if expired)
- Valid U.S. passport
- Government employee ID
- Military ID
- Tribal ID
- Georgia Voter ID card.
The full list of runoff election candidates is on the Muscogee County elections website.
Historic ramifications of Columbus mayoral runoff election
If Hugley is elected mayor of Columbus, he would be the first Black candidate to be elected mayor in the city’s 198-year history.
A.J. McClung was 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 worked 41 years for the Columbus Consolidated Government, including 20 years as city manager, before the council voted 7-3 May 27, 2025, to fire him.
If Cogle is elected, she would be the second female mayor in the city’s history, following Teresa Tomlinson (2011-19).
Cogle, owner of Crossfit CSG gym, is among the councilors who voted yes to fire Hugley.
Although the mayor of Columbus officially is nonpartisan, the Republican and Democratic parties have been involved in these campaigns.
In February, the Ledger-Enquirer reported Cogle fired her campaign manager, a self-described Christian Nationalist who worked for Republican candidates in Georgia after criticism of her choice became public.
Then in May, the L-E reported the Muscogee County Democratic Committee endorsed Hugley.
