‘Clear message to the citizens of Columbus.' Isaiah Hugley files to run for mayor

Yahoo

11-07-2025

Fired Columbus city manager Isaiah Hugley filed paperwork Thursday declaring his intention to accept campaign contributions to run for mayor in the 2026 election.
Hugley was the first Black city manager and the longest-serving city or county manager in Columbus' history before the Columbus Council voted 7-3 to terminate him May 27.
The termination followed controversies over two city employees being arrested because of the investigation into the finance department and Hugley's legal clash with some councilors after his ethics were questioned following Hugley's wife receiving American Rescue Plan grant of approximately $29,000.
Councilors argued the grant should have been disclosed to the Columbus Council, while Hugley and Mayor Skip Henderson argued the grant was disclosed to the mayor and city attorney. Hugley acted on the advice of the city attorney.
Hugley's lawyer, Scott Grubman, shared with the Ledger-Enquirer last week an unfiled draft of a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that Hugley's termination was the result of discrimination and retaliation. Grubman said the draft would be filed July 14 unless the city responds with a 'meaningful proposal.'
The Ledger-Enquirer reported in December that Hugley planned to retire at the end of 2025. He worked 41 years for the Columbus Consolidated Government, including 20 years as city manager.
Hugley told the Ledger-Enquirer on May 20, before his termination, that he was focused on finishing out his last year as city manager and that he didn't know his plans after retiring.
Columbus, GA United, a coalition with a goal of unifying Black voters in Columbus to vote for a single candidate, has not made any decision about whom they will endorse in the next mayoral election, Wane Hailes, owner of the Columbus Courier Eco Latino and an organizer of Columbus, GA, United, told the Ledger-Enquirer.
The group plans to find out who all the candidates will be before making a decision to support any individual, he said.
The nonpartisan election for Columbus mayor will be May 19, 2026. No other candidate has filed paperwork to run in the race, according to the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration website, but the qualifying period isn't until March 2-6. Henderson, in his second term, isn't allowed to run for Columbus mayor again.
If his bid for mayor is successful, Hugley would be the third member of his family elected to public office in Columbus, following his wife, state Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus), and his sister, Pat Hugley Green, the District 1 representative and chairwoman of the Muscogee County School Board.
Hugley also would be the first elected Black mayor of Columbus. A.J. McClung was Mayor Pro Tem and served as interim mayor after Mayor JR Allen died in a plane crash in 1973.
'Please know that my Declaration of Intent filing today is intended to be a clear message to the citizens of Columbus,' Hugley wrote to the Ledger-Enquirer in a text message Thursday night. 'It's time for leadership that listens, innovates and unites. My vision is simple but bold — a Columbus that works for everyone. Now the work begins!
'A formal announcement will come later. I will make myself available to the media at that time.'