COLUMBUS, Ohio — The 2026 elections are barely over, and Columbus is already into its next one. The city’s 2027 mayoral race is shaping up to be its most competitive in decades, with Mayor Andy Ginther seeking a fourth term against City Council President Shannon Hardin, a former ally, and State Rep. Munira Abdullahi signaling she may join them, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s Nov. 10 preview of the race, a year out from the election.
Hardin publicly broke with Ginther and announced his candidacy in August, ushering in a new tone at City Hall marked by confrontation between council and the mayor’s administration, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Abdullahi pulled the requisite paperwork to run two days before she appeared on the 2026 ballot, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The 30-year-old Somali American is wrapping up her first term in elected office, and if elected she would become Columbus’ first female mayor, its first Muslim mayor and its first immigrant mayor, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
All three are Democrats. Columbus city elections are technically nonpartisan, but the city has not had a Republican mayor this century, and a Republican has not run since 2015, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Six longshot candidates have also pulled petitions, though it is unclear how many will qualify, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
The mechanics come first, and they come soon. To get on the ballot, a candidate must collect at least 1,000 valid city voter signatures and file by Feb. 3, according to The Columbus Dispatch. If more than two candidates make the ballot, a primary election on May 4 will narrow the field, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the November general election. A primary is likely, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Money, a year out, is lopsided. Ginther entered November with more than $2 million on hand, compared with about $470,000 in Hardin’s campaign account and less than $30,000 in Abdullahi’s state campaign account, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Ginther’s campaign had its strongest fundraising quarter ever between August and the end of October, bringing in over a half-million dollars, according to a quarterly filing submitted to the city that The Columbus Dispatch cited.
The shape of the two campaigns differs as much as the totals. In the third quarter, Hardin raised about $215,000 — less than half of what Ginther raised in that period, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Hardin’s campaign said in a Nov. 5 statement that more than 650 individuals contributed during the quarter, while Ginther had 164 donors in the same period — fewer, but deeper-pocketed, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The quotes in this race so far are about coalitions. Ginther said in a statement a few days after the Nov. 3 election, as quoted by The Columbus Dispatch: “I’m proud of the role Columbus and Franklin County played in Tuesday’s victories and the people across our community who made them possible. That same commitment to our city is reflected in the broad coalition supporting our campaign.” Hardin said in a campaign announcement, as quoted by The Columbus Dispatch: “Our campaign is about building a movement, not simply building a bank account.”
Endorsements are splitting the local Democratic establishment. A Nov. 11 fundraiser for Ginther lists all three Franklin County commissioners — John O’Grady, Erica Crawley and Kevin Boyce — atop the host committee, along with former Gov. Ted Strickland, former Rep. Tim Ryan and Attorney General-elect John Kulewicz, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Backing Hardin, U.S. Congressman-elect Don Leonard told The Columbus Dispatch he plans to support the council president, and Hardin has endorsements from Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor and Councilmembers Rob Dorans and Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Two of the city’s most influential Democratic power brokers — Rep. Joyce Beatty and former Mayor Michael B. Coleman — have yet to publicly endorse, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Coleman endorsed Ginther as his successor in 2015, but shares a close personal bond with Hardin, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Joe Motil, who unsuccessfully challenged Ginther in 2023, told The Columbus Dispatch on Nov. 9 that he will not run again and plans to support Abdullahi.
The mayoral race is not the only thing on Columbus ballots in 2027. The city will also hold a special election for city auditor — Council appointed Jacquelin Lewis to the role earlier this year, and she must run to serve the rest of the term through 2029 — and charter amendments passed this election expand the council and implement district-only elections, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Five council districts are on the ballot in 2027 — districts 2, 5, 6, 8 and 9, with District 9 vacated by Hardin — and the entire city will vote on two new at-large council seats, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Related coverage from NewsForce247: the council the next mayor will work with is itself being reshaped — read how the Columbus council overhaul raises big questions for housing development. It was the only directly related earlier article available in today’s coverage pull.
What happens next: candidates must collect 1,000 valid signatures and file by Feb. 3 to make the ballot, with a May 4 primary if more than two qualify, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Between now and then, the endorsement watch — starting with Beatty and Coleman — and the next finance filings will show whether this becomes the crowded contest The Columbus Dispatch says it is shaping up to be.