Latest news with #MuscogeeCounty
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former member's daughter among Columbus Council candidates. Updated list here
Five Columbus Council seats are up for reelection in 2026, as community activists have vowed to put pressure on incumbents at the ballot box following a series of controversial votes and actions. Council seats representing Districts 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 will be up for election May 19. Councilors Byron Hickey, Bruce Huff, Charmaine Crabb, Joanne Coglle and John Anker sit in these seats, respectively. After the council voted to appoint Anker to the citywide District 9 seat, Royal Anderson, chairwoman of the Muscogee County Democratic Committee, promised in a March 25 council meeting that her organization would work to campaign against councilors who voted for the appointment. While council seats are nonpartisan, Anderson argued that 'about every decision made in these chambers means either blue or red.' A coalition called Columbus, GA, United arose after the decision with the intent to support a unity candidate for races in the upcoming election. Leaders from organizations, including the Columbus branch of the NAACP and the Columbus Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, worked together on the plan after holding multiple news conferences condemning Anker's appointment. Here's who has filed paperwork declaring their intention to run for the Columbus Council in 2026. This list will be updated with more information as it becomes available and new candidates join the race. Simi Barnes, the daughter of the late Columbus Councilor Jerry 'Pops' Barnes, filed paperwork to run for District 1. Barnes criticized the council's decision last year to have Byron Hickey succeed Pops as the District 1 councilor and fill the remaining two years of his term. She also was among the residents who attended the March 25 council meeting to criticize the council's decision to appoint Anker to the District 9 seat. She filed her declaration of intention to run for the District 1 seat July 11. The Ledger-Enquirer didn't reach Barnes for comment before publication. Christopher Kelley filed a declaration of intention to run for the District 7 seat July 11. Kelley or a campaign representative didn't provived the Ledger-Enquirer with background information about him before publication. Rocky Marsh was the first candidate to file a declaration of intention for next years council election June 12. He is running for the District 9 at-large seat. Marsh is a retired U.S. Army Veteran and a U.S. Department of Defense civil servant budget analyst at Fort Benning. He also serves on the Columbus Crime Prevention Committee. He previously ran for the District 10 at-large council seat in 2024, but lost in a four-candidate race to Travis Chambers. 'I believe every family and neighborhood in Columbus deserves to be heard, in a safe, thriving community with a positive quality of life,' Marsh told the Ledger-Enquirer. 'I'm running because Columbus needs leaders with varied perspectives, who are present, accountable, and ready to represent issues and challenges facing our city.'
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbus mayor's race now has a second candidate as Hugley challenger emerges
Candidates have begun filing their paperwork to run for Columbus mayor in the 2026 election, a race that won't have an incumbent because Mayor Skip Henderson is completing the last of his two terms. The nonpartisan election for Columbus mayor will be May 19, 2026. The qualifying period will begin March 2 at 9 a.m. and finish March 6 at noon. Here are the candidates who have filed with the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration their declaration of intention to accept campaign contributions. This list will be updated as more candidates file their declaration. A former Republican candidate for Muscogee County sheriff is now in the Columbus mayoral race. Mark LaJoye, who has run for sheriff and lost five times, filed his paperwork July 11 to be a candidate for mayor. He lost to John Darr in 2008 and 2012, Donna Tompkins in 2016 and Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman in 2020 and 2024. LaJoye served in the U.S. Army for 40 years and worked for the Columbus Police Department for 13 years. He earned a master's of law degree from St. Louis University, and a bachelor's and an associate's degree in criminal justice from Troy University, the Ledger-Enquirer reported. LaJoye hopes to focus on issues including community safety, fiscal responsibility, transparency and infrastructure, he told the Ledger-Enquirerin an email July 14. He wants to lead with transparency and help manage the city's 'recovery from scandal and questionable standards.' 'My disappointment in our current leaders has driven me to this mayoral race,' LaJoye said. 'I'm called to serve. I uphold the high standards I was raised with, have served by, and continue to practice both personally and as Mayor of Columbus, Georgia.' Former city manager Isaiah Hugley filed his declaration of intention July 10 for the 2026 mayoral race. 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 fire him May 27. He worked for the Columbus Consolidated Government for 41 years, including 20 years as city manager. If successful, Hugley would be the first elected Black mayor of Columbus. He also 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. '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 July 10. '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!'
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Second candidate files paperwork to run for Columbus mayor
COLUMBUS, Ga. () — One day after the former Columbus city manager Isaiah Hugley filed his paperwork to run for mayor, a second candidate has entered the race. On Friday, Mark LaJoye filed paperwork that allows candidates to raise and spend campaign funds. Mark-LaJoye-intention-to-accept-campaign-fundsDownload LaJoye is no stranger to the citywide ballot. He ran unsuccessfully for sheriff four times, including last year's election against incumbent Sheriff Greg Countryman. RELATED: Countdown to Democracy: Race for Muscogee County Sheriff RELATED: Mark LaJoye, Muscogee Co. sheriff candidate wins appeal 'The early bird gets the worm,' LaJoye said. 'We didn't think Isaiah was going to file or run. We were expecting someone else to file. I think there will be maybe two more candidates to get into the race.' Despite four failed attempts at elected office, LaJoye said this is a different opportunity. 'This is a non-partisan race,' he said. 'What's going to stand out is the issues. Isaiah has a lot of baggage on his side.' PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Former Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley files paperwork to run for mayor Qualifying will be in early March. The election is May 19. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Isaiah Hugley's lawyer sends Columbus city attorney letter escalating lawsuit threat
Scott Grubman, attorney for former Columbus City Manager Isaiah Hugley, sent a letter Friday afternoon demanding that the city reinstate Hugley by June 6; otherwise, he will proceed with filing a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding Hugley's termination. The Columbus Council voted 7-3 to fire Hugley on May 27, following the release of a Muscogee County Sheriff's Office administrative report about the investigation into the Columbus Consolidated Government's finance department and associated arrests. Grubman sent the letter with his demands to Columbus City Attorney Clifton Fay and Deputy City Attorney Lucy Seftall. The letter was also addressed to attorney Leslie Harnett, who has been serving as personal counsel for Columbus Councilors Glenn Davis, Charmaine Crabb, Toyia Tucker, Joanne Cogle, Byron Hickey and John Anker after they received a cease-and-desist letter from Grubman in April. The cease-and-desist was sent after Hickey questioned whether Hugley violated the city's code of ethics by not disclosing an almost $30,000 small business grant that his wife, state Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus) received to the council. Hugley did disclose the grant application to Mayor Skip Henderson and Fay, who advised him to pass the application to his deputy city manager rather than handle it himself. After Hugley was terminated, Grubman told the Ledger-Enquirer that he planned to file for Hugley to have a public hearing before the council by next Friday. In the most recent letter sent to Fay, Sheftall and Hartnett, Grubman argues that Hugley's termination violated federal and state laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Leading up to the termination, Grubman argues that 'various racist, false, defamatory and down-right offensive remarks' about Hugley surfaced in the sheriff's administrative report, according to the letter. He cites Crabb describing African American church leaders who spoke during the public agenda portion of previous council meetings as Hugley's 'little mafiosos' and alleging that Hugley engaged in discriminatory practices benefiting Black individuals who are members of historically Black sororities and fraternities. 'Less than two weeks after this interview report was released, and after Councilwoman Crabb was called out for this improper, racist behavior, including by Mr. Hugley through counsel, she introduced her unscheduled motion to terminate Mr. Hugley's employment after 40 years of employment with the City of Columbus, and 20 years as Columbus' first African American city manager,' Grubman said in the letter. Grubman argued that Hickey was also biased against Hugley, repeating the allegation that Hickey was retaliating after the councilor attempted to intervene in a pending decision about a pay raise for his wife, who works for the Columbus Police Department. 'Based on these facts alone, it is clear that the stated reasons for Mr. Hugley's termination were nothing more than pretext for unlawful discrimination and retaliation,' Grubman said. Along with demanding Hugley be reinstated as city manager, Grubman also argued that members of the council could be held personally liable for damages if their actions were done 'oppressively, maliciously, corruptly or without authority of law.' He demanded Hugley be paid around $213,000 along with his reinstatement. 'If we do not hear from you by the close of business on Friday, June 6, 2025, we will assume you are not interested in resolving this matter and will proceed with filing a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC),' Grubman said in the letter. The city attorney and Hartnett have not responded to a request for comment before publishing.
