Black voters in Columbus are bitterly divided over the race for mayor. With more than 61 thousand registered black voters representing a majority in Muscogee County, the black community will have a major impact on the election, but their support is split between candidates. Local activist and veteran Marvin Broadwater Sr described the current political climate in a recent video posted to Facebook.
“Here in Columbus, GA we have the most contentious race, the most contentious election I have ever seen. I’ve been here 23 years…. what we’re going through right here in Columbus it’s just a straight division caused by an election,” he said in part. Broadwater Sr. is supporting former city manager Isaiah Hugley for mayor. Several prominent members of the black clergy support Hugley as do people like Ed Dubose a member of the NAACP’s National Board of Directors and influential businessman Dr. Robert Wright to name a few.
Hugley has repeatedly expressed a desire to unite Columbus on the campaign trail. But not every political power broker in the black community is on team Hugley.
Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman has not stated publicly who he supports but one insider at the sheriff’s office notes Joanne Cogle is the only candidate for mayor appearing at events hosted by the sheriff. Councilor Cogle has gone to bat for the sheriff while campaigning and recently declared during a televised debate that as the owner of the Muscogee County Jail the city behaved like a “slumlord” to the tenant Sheriff Countryman in years past. The sheriff could use the city’s support for a new $500 million dollar jail.
Local media personality Gloria Strode did not answer directly when asked who she is supporting for mayor, but her husband Tollie has been straight forward on social media. “When you walk into the booth, don’t vote like a middle schooler in a popularity contest. Vote YOUR interest… 1. Protect the property tax freeze. 2. Vote for someone THAT IS NOT SUING THE CITY. 3. Vote for someone that HAS NOT demonstrated leadership failures that cost the city money (millions), state & national embarrassment, and led to indictments of city employees,” Tollie Strode shared in an apparent reference to Hugley.
City councilor Toyia Tucker shared that same sentiment when she showed up in support of Cogle at her campaign kickoff. Tucker said at the time that the race for mayor is “not black and white. It’s not red and blue. It’s right and wrong. It’s the right person or the wrong person. It’s if you want to go 41 years backwards or do you want to go 41 years ahead.” City Councilor and former police officer Byron Hickey abandoned his own campaign for mayor and endorsed Cogle.
Still, the election for Columbus’ next mayor is not a two-person race. Mayoral candidate Dr. Jaketra Bryant who has consistently focused on the disenfranchised and the least among us during the campaign brings her own support from the black community to the race. So does trial attorney Chris Breault. Small business owner and social media influencer Terrence Flowers invests his time and energy campaigning for Breault. Flowers and some of his followers report they have been “bullied” online after supporting other candidates besides Hugley. So much so that Flowers traveled outside his home district to cast his ballot for the election.
“A little bird told me not to go to Shirley B Winston to vote. I wasn’t welcome there, so I came to the Northside,” Flowers posted on Facebook along with a photo of himself. “I gotta remind myself that Columbus is the same city that wouldn’t let Dr. Martin Luther King preach in any churches some of these churches are ran by the grand children of those same cowards who wouldn’t let him preach in their houses of worship. Same weak Negroes exist today in Columbus. Nothing really has changed on that aspect,” Flowers added.
The fiery rhetoric is just a small sample of the strong opinions shared by black voters in Columbus who support different candidates for mayor this election cycle.
Early voting is underway in Columbus until May 15, 2026. Election day is May 19, 2026.
