Columbus mayoral candidate Joanne Cogle not conceding election to Isaiah Hugley
Columbus mayoral candidate Joanne Cogle has decided not to concede in the tight mayoral runoff election after former city manager Isaiah Hugley claimed victory Tuesday night.
According to the latest results from the Georgia Secretary of State website, representing the advance in-person votes, absentee by-mail votes and all 25 precincts on election day, although yet to be certified, Hugley leads Cogle with about 52% of the vote:
Hugley received 16,309 votes, while Cogle received 15,312.
The only ballots that could change those results are military postmarked June 16 and received by Friday, and any provisionals to be counted, according to Muscogee County elections director Nancy Boren.
Cogle, the Columbus Councilor representing District 7, released a statement Wednesday night thanking her family and supporters for their work throughout the mayoral campaign.
“What we have is a unified movement that cares about Columbus,” Cogle wrote in the statement. “So many people voted, and votes are still being counted! With the nature of how tight this race was, I will be awaiting the final total of votes before making a more comprehensive statement regarding the election.”
No matter what the final total is, Cogle said, she plans on “continuing to lead Columbus through the various roles and opportunities that I am blessed with.”
If his lead remains after the results are certified, Hugley would become the first Black mayor-elect in Columbus history. The new mayor will be sworn into office in January. Mayor Skip Henderson couldn’t run for reelection because city law limit mayors to two four-year terms.
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 10:44 PM.
