06/17/2026
“Let’s go ahead and put this discussion to bed…because why is this even a debate.
COLUMBUS HISTORY: TWO FACTS CAN BE TRUE
🖤 A.J. McClung (1973)
First Black person to serve as Mayor of Columbus
✓ Assumed office after Mayor J.R. Allen’s death in a plane crash
✓ Served as Mayor because he was Mayor Pro Tem
✓ Served 52½ days until a special election
✓ First Black mayor of a major Southern city
Served by succession, not by election
⸻
❤️ Isaiah Hugley (2026)
First Black person elected Mayor of Columbus by voters
✓ Won the 2026 citywide election
✓ First Black candidate elected mayor in Columbus history
✓ Becomes Columbus’ 71st Mayor
✓ Elected by the people through the ballot box
Elected by voters
⸻
BOTH STATEMENTS ARE TRUE
A.J. McClung was the first Black person to serve as mayor.
Isaiah Hugley is the first Black person elected mayor by the people of Columbus.
History isn’t being rewritten. It is being accurately told.” Franki Foster ⚡️❤️
