BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The City of Brunswick, Georgia will have a new mayor next year in 36-year-old Cosby Johnson.
"I think what we've seen is people knock on doors just to ask for your vote, but they won't knock your door and ask for your voice," he told First Coast News in a one-on-one interview after Tuesday's run-off election.
Johnson says he wants to change that mentality as the mayor. He is a native of the city and attributes his desire for public service in part because of his parents. His mom is an educator.
"What I learned from them was that giving back to my community was something foundational in me," Johnson said.
His focus on day one includes addressing several issues, including building the infrastructure to prevent future flooding, economic development and improving educational equality.
To do that, he says, is where the door knocking begins. "We are going to talk to them. We are going to ask them. We are going to build a plan around them because the voice of the people is what will move our campaign and our administration forward," he said.
Johnson received the endorsement of Ahmaud Arbery's family. It's something he describes as an honor.
He was part of an effort to get Georgia lawmakers to eliminate the citizen's arrest law and also advocated for the creation of a hate crimes law.
"They knew that I was not only fighting for this heinous situation that touched our community, but I was fighting for a justice that rings true whether you are Black, whether you are white," he said.
Johnson, who currently serves as the Vice President for Government Affairs for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, will take his oath on January 5, 2022.