Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther will seek a fourth term in 2027, campaign says
Ginther is hosting a campaign fundraiser with a minimum suggested contribution of $2,500 on June 5 at The Citizen Trust, a cocktail lounge inside an historic bank building on Gay Street.
Gen Murphy, the finance director for Ginther's campaign, told The Dispatch on May 27 that Ginther intends to run again. He typically holds a couple of fundraisers a year, and the forthcoming event is nothing unusual, she said.
If Ginther wins reelection and completes a fourth four-year term, he will be tied with his predecessor, Mayor Michael B. Coleman, for the longest-serving Columbus mayor.
In 2023, Ginther won reelection handily against a low-budget challenge from local activist Joe Motil. Ginther won about 64% of the vote to Motil's 36%.
Some of Ginther's fellow Democrats are waiting for Ginther to vacate the city's top leadership role so they can run. Some may not wait.
City Attorney Zach Klein has been outspoken in recent years, and he's aggressively fundraised, leading to speculation he's setting himself up for a mayoral run in 2027. Klein has raised about $870,000 to run unopposed this November for reelection to city attorney, according to his most recent campaign finance report.
Ginther's campaign had about $300,000 in April, according to his most recent campaign finance report.
Ginther will soon also be campaigning for his $1.9-billion bond package that he's asking voters to approve in November to fund more affordable housing, police and fire stations, roads, parks and other infrastructure.
Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther to seek fourth term in 2027
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