The union representing Columbus firefighters has endorsed City Council President Shannon Hardin for mayor in 2027, an early rebuke of Mayor Andrew Ginther nearly a year before voters decide the race. International Association of Fire Fighters Local 67 leaders joined Hardin at the union hall on Nov. 11 to announce the endorsement after members voted, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Union leaders told The Columbus Dispatch the early endorsement is meant to send a clear message that members are unhappy with how Ginther has overseen staffing shortfalls and an aging fleet at the Columbus Division of Fire. The union also remains frustrated that Ginther ousted former Fire Chief Jeffrey Happ, who had enjoyed the firefighters’ support before he resigned amid a Department of Public Safety investigation.
Local 67 President Steve Stein told The Columbus Dispatch that a litany of issues drove the rank-and-file vote. “We want to make sure that we’re prepared for emergencies when we go out there and pull up to an apartment fire, a car accident, medical emergency, you name it,” Stein told The Dispatch. “Our firefighters are saying we want that same mindset over at City Hall where we’re not waiting until it’s a crisis to react.”
Hardin told The Columbus Dispatch he was honored to accept the endorsement and promised to launch a comprehensive fire and emergency services modernization initiative within his first 100 days as mayor, in partnership with Local 67. He also promised a predictable schedule for firefighter recruit classes. “There is a misconception that a strong mayor needs a weak union,” Hardin told The Dispatch. “I believe that a strong mayor needs a strong union so each can challenge each other, hold each other accountable and ultimately, deliver better results for the people of Columbus.”
Ginther, who is seeking a fourth term, pushed back through his campaign. Campaign manager Julia Kennedy told The Dispatch in a statement that Ginther is the most pro-labor mayor in Columbus history, stands firmly behind his record of delivering for working people and unions, and has tremendous respect for Columbus firefighters. Ginther retains backing from many veteran Columbus Democrats, including former Public Safety Director Ned Pettus Jr., the city’s first African American fire chief, who endorsed the mayor.
Local 67 is one of the city government’s largest unions, representing about 1,700 Division of Fire employees, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The police union, Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, generally does not endorse before a primary, its president, Brian Steel, told The Dispatch, while the city’s largest union, AFSCME Local 1632, has not yet begun its endorsement process, according to its president, Will Harmon, in The Columbus Dispatch’s reporting.
The mayor’s race is technically nonpartisan and the field is still taking shape. If more than two candidates make the ballot, a primary on May 4 will narrow the field, with the top two finishers advancing to the November general election. The endorsement, also reported by 10TV, lands as Ginther and council feud over the city’s 2027 budget, including how much to invest in fire hiring and equipment.
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