Joanne Cogle wins Columbus Council District 7 runoff election

Nick Wooten
·1 min read

Small business owner Joanne Cogle defeated Laketha Ashe to become the new Columbus Council District 7 representative in Tuesday’s runoff election.

According to unofficial vote tallies, Cogle won 454-373.

Cogle a former educator who owns Crossfit CSG gym and TriColumbusGA, a race production company, was the top vote-getter in May’s primary with 492 votes. She finished only 16 votes ahead of Ashe, who owns multiple businesses and holds a master’s degree in psychology.

“I super excited about moving the city forward,” Cogle told the Ledger-Enquirer after the final ballot report.

In an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer before the election, Cogle said she ran for council because the district needed a new perspective.

“Our streets and neighborhoods need to be safer,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer. “We all want District 7 to be strong, now and in the future. Crime is on top of everyone’s mind and this is a multifaceted issue. While we continue to support our police force, we must support programs and projects that encourage our youth to stay off the streets.

“Our city must be cleaned up, our businesses must be supported better, and our government must communicate more effectively.”