Two file to take on Ginther for mayor
Motil, Griffin enter race; 14 seeking council seats
Unlike in 2019 when he ran unopposed, two-term Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther might face two opponents for the job running Ohio’s largest city, potentially setting up a David-andgoliath contest pitting two grassroots candidates against the well-financed incumbent.
In addition, 14 candidates have filed petitions to run for Columbus City Council under the first ever new form of government where candidates must be elected from one of nine new residential districts, with only one winner in each district. Voters across the city can still vote each of nine candidates, similar to the current at-large elected body, but only the highest vote-getter will be seated.
Although candidate petitions had to be turned into the Franklin County Board of Elections by the Wednesday evening deadline, signatures on the petitions must still be checked to ensure those signing are registered voters currently residing in the city. Therefore, the number of candidates can - and typically will - shrink in the weeks after the deadline, but can get no larger.
“You know, you run scared, run opposed,” Ginther told The Dispatch earlier this week. “I learned that a long time ago from a great friend and mentor, so we are not taking anything for granted.”
Ginther’s last campaign finance report showed him sitting on about $800,000 as of last fall.
“We’re going to work for every vote, share a message of what we’ve accomplished. I think it’s really going to be all about safety, (housing) affordability, and equity, are really the things we’re going to remain focused on,” Ginther said Tuesday as he filed his petitions
One of the candidates facing Ginther is Joe Motil, an advocate for the homeless and longtime critic of the city’s property-tax abatement policies, who said he is confident that 2,100 signatures he submitted will translate into at least the minimum 1,000 required to be on the mayoral ballot, after checking is complete. He said he is pleased at the small field, as he intends to run an “anybody but Ginther” campaign, a constituency which he says is large and diverse.
Motil said his message is restoring fairness and equality to City Hall.
“It’s going to be my intention to be the top vote-getter in the primary,” he said, adding, “There is so much mistrust and dislike for our current mayor.”
Both Ginther and Motil are Democrats. Also filing to run for mayor is Carrie J. Griffin, of the 4900 block of Keelson Drive, who could not be reached for comment Thursday morning.
Included in the 14 Council candidates filing petitions are six incumbents - four of whom are guaranteed a seat because they are the sole person running in their newly created council residential district: Council President Shannon Hardin (District 9), President Pro Tem Rob Dorans (District 3), Shayla Favor (District 7), and Lourdes Barroso de Padilla (District 8).
In District 4, incumbent Emmanual Remy will face off against newcomer Adrienne Hood, of the 1900 block of Cedar Willow Drive, and in District 5 incumbent Nick Bankston will face Farxaan Jeyte, of the 4300 block of Appian Way.
In District 6, three newcomers will to represent the newly created Hilltop and Far West Side residential district: Patrick Barnacle, of the 100 block of South Algonquin Avenue; Melissa Green, of the 100 block of Westgate Avenue; and J.D. Groves, of the 200 block of Roys Avenue.
In District 2, which generally includes parts of northwest Columbus surrounding Hilliard, Nancy Dayachauer, of the 5900 block of Luccis Court, will take on Luis Gil, a Republican who ran twice since 2020 to be a Franklin County commissioner.
Finally, newcomer Chris Wyche, of the 7200 block of Rising Way, is unopposed in District 1, generally representing the Far North Side.
One current member of the City Council, Mitchell Brown, who was recently appointed to serve the remaining year on Elizabeth Brown’s seat after she left to head the Columbus YWCA, is not seeking reelection.