Yep, in Savannah the Mayor is one member out of nine on City Council. But what a year Mayor Johnson has had, along with the rest of us. Inaugurated in January with much fanfare, within a few weeks almost every ambitious agenda item took a back seat to COVID-19. Since then Johnson has been at the forefront of best practices in fighting the pandemic, including a long public struggle with Ga. Gov. Brian Kemp over mask mandates and other issues of local control. In facing Savannah’s many challenges in 2020, Johnson took a no-win situation for most any politician and managed to eke out a political victory.

Runner-up: Nick Palumbo