| Andrew Ginther | |
| Office: | 53rd Mayor of Columbus |
| Term Start: | January 1, 2016 |
| Predecessor: | Michael B. Coleman |
| Order1: | 82nd |
| Office1: | President of the United States Conference of Mayors |
| Term Start1: | 2024 |
| Predecessor1: | Hillary Schieve |
| Office2: | President of Columbus City Council |
| Term Start2: | January 3, 2011 |
| Term End2: | December 31, 2015 |
| Predecessor2: | Michael Mentel |
| Successor2: | Zach Klein |
| Birth Name: | Andrew James Ginther |
| Birth Date: | 27 April 1975 |
| Birth Place: | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Spouse: | Shannon Ginther |
| Children: | 1 |
| Education: | Earlham College (BA) |
Andrew James Ginther (born April 27, 1975)[1] is an American Democratic politician, the 53rd mayor of Columbus, Ohio, and the 48th person to serve in that office.[2] He previously served as President of Columbus City Council from 2011 until 2015.[3]
Ginther was born at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Ginther's mother was a social worker and his father was an attorney specializing in adoption and foster law. His family lived in Tallmadge, Ohio, later moving to a house on Charleston Avenue in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus. Ginther is one of three biological children of the couple, who fostered about 50 children over many years.
After graduation from Whetstone High School, Ginther attended Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where he earned a BA in Political Science in 1997. As part of Earlham's foreign study program, Ginther traveled to Northern Ireland to study peace and conflict resolution at the University of Ulster and Queen's College. He also taught at public schools in Belfast and Derry. Ginther served internships at the Carter Center in Atlanta, where he taught nonviolence and dispute resolution to children.
Ginther served as a legislative aide to Ohio state Senator Dan Brady.[4] He then served as coordinator of violence prevention programs for the local nonprofit organization Strategies Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE).[5]
In 1999, Ginther ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Columbus Board of Education. In 2000, Ginther worked for then-City Councilmember Maryellen O'Shaughnessy's congressional campaign for . He worked as the chief fundraiser during her unsuccessful run for Congress.[6] [7] In 2001 his second campaign was successful, and he served as a member of the school board for six years, being reelected in 2005. Ginther also worked for 10 years as community outreach coordinator for Triumph Communications, a central Ohio company providing public relations and political campaign management services.[8]
In February 2007, Ginther was appointed to the Columbus City Council to fill an unexpired term after the resignation of Matt Habash. He was elected to a new term as a member of City Council in November 2007, was reelected as a member in 2009, and on January 3, 2011, was selected to replace Michael C. Mentel as Council president, becoming the youngest City Council president in the history of Columbus at age 35. In 2011 Ginther accepted a new position as vice president of Community Affairs and Outreach for nonprofit Children's Hunger Alliance. He remained City Council president through the end of 2015.
In March 2015, Ginther and fellow Democrat Zach Scott, the former Franklin County, Ohio Sheriff, were selected in a primary election by Columbus voters to compete in the November 2015 general election to replace retiring Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman (D).[9] Ginther, endorsed by Coleman, was the projected frontrunner to be elected but faced controversy over issues with Redflex Traffic Systems when an executive of the company was found guilty of bribery charges in dealings with the city of Columbus. Although Ginther was never mentioned in the court documents for participating in this, Scott used the controversy to attack his campaign.[10] Ginther beat a previous record for fundraising and spending during his campaign by raising $3 million.[11] In the general election on November 3, 2015, Ginther defeated Scott with 59% of the vote.[12]
In 2019, Ginther was re-elected unopposed as mayor of Columbus. When he first submitted his bid to run, he spoke about continuing and expanding the work he had done for the city during his first term.[13] During his State of the City address in February 2020, he announced initiatives to improve the city's Sullivant Avenue corridor in Franklinton and the Hilltop.[14]
After Ginther announced he was running for re-election for a third term in 2023, he was soon opposed by independent Joe Motil. Ginther ran his campaign based on his accomplishments in the last two terms (Its Andrew) while Motil based his campaign on attacking Ginther for his lack of leadership, the housing crisis, rising crime rates within the city.[15] Ginther was re-elected defeating Motil with 64% of the vote.[16] Ginther once again outspent and outvoted his opponent but received a few thousand less votes in this election than his previous two.[17] In 2024, he was elected as the 82nd president of the United States Conference of Mayors, succeeding Hillary Schieve.[18]
Mayor Ginther has implemented many different policy initiatives in his two past and one current mayoral terms. He believes strongly in the freedom of choice for women’s reproductive health, increasing safety regarding gun violence, affordable housing, pre-k and early education programs, transportation convenience, and overall neighborhood safety in the city of Columbus. [19]
He believes that women should have the right to choose, and since Ohio took one of the strictest anti-choice stances of all the states after the overruling of Roe v. Wade, he has made it a priority to let women know that he stands with them and their rights to healthcare. He pushed through legislation regarding reproductive rights through the Columbus City Council to show women the options they had left in Ohio since the Supreme Court decision.
Regarding gun violence, Mayor Ginther believes that this should be the city’s and states top priority. It contributes to overall neighborhood safety, not just in Columbus but for the entirety of Ohio. The city is strengthening their attack on providing legislation for more background checks and the passing of Safety Protection Orders.[20] A couple of those orders are:
Throughout his terms, collaborating with the Police Department, many illegal and assault-style weapons have been removed from the streets, synonymously reducing crime rates. He has also put into practice body-camera technology for police officers to ensure safety of both officers and civilians. [21]
In November 2022, along with other Columbus leaders, Ginther proposed new legislation addressing gun safety.[22] The proposal included several key measures, such as banning high-capacity magazines capable of holding more than 30 rounds. It also sought to penalize unsafe gun storage practices and outlaw straw purchases of firearms. Columbus City Council reviewed and approved the legislation in December 2022. [23]
Affordable housing has been another one of Mayor Ginther's key issues during his terms. He believes that all families, especially the working class families should be able to afford their housing. Some of the things Mayor Ginther and the city implemented and focused on primarily during his second term: [24]
Programs he has implemented with the city for early childcare and education:
Coming to one of the last topics that Mayor Ginther has his primary focus on is, convenient transportation for the citizens of Columbus. He believes that citizens should be able to get work and attend educational or healthcare matters they need to get too. The city was awarded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge Grant during Mayor Ginther's first year in office. Columbus was made America’s “Smart City”. [25]
In 2021, Mayor Andrew Ginther and the City of Columbus released a Climate Action Plan designed to address environmental challenges and reduce the city’s carbon footprint. The plan set two major goals: cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by the year 2030 and achieving full carbon neutrality by 2050. To accomplish these objectives, the plan outlined several strategic initiatives.
One major focus was the expansion of solar power infrastructure, with a target of reaching 2 gigawatts (GW) of commercial on-site solar energy generation by 2050. Another priority was the electrification of transportation. The plan included the installation of numerous electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the city and an aim to transition 100% of personal vehicle use to electric models by 2050. Additionally, the plan included making all city-owned vehicles electric by 2030, while gradually converting medium and heavy-duty vehicles to electric power by 2050.[26] [27]
| The Ginther Cabinet | ||
|---|---|---|
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| Mayor | Andrew Ginther | 2016–present |
| Chief of Staff | Greg Davies | 2016–2018 |
| Ken Paul | 2018–2024 | |
| Elon Simms | 2024-present | |
| Director of Development | Michael Stevens | 2019–present |
| Director of Public Utilities | Tracie Davies | 2016–2022 |
| Kristen Atha | 2022-present | |
| Director of Public Service | Jennifer L. Gallagher, P.E. | 2016–2024 |
| Kelly Scocco | 2024-present | |
| Director of Public Safety | Robert W. Clark | 2021–2023 |
| Kate Pishotti | 2023-present | |
| Director of Public Health | Teresa Long | 2016–2017 |
| Mysheika Roberts | 2017–present | |
| Director of Finance & Management | Kathy Owens | 2022–present |
| Director of Human Resources | Nichole Brandon | 2016–2022 |
| Chris Moses | 2022-present | |
| Director of Technology | Sam Orth III | 2016–present |
| Director of Education | Rhonda Johnson | 2016–2019 |
| Matt Smydo (Interim) | 2019–Present | |
| Director of Recreation & Parks | Tony Collins | 2015–2019 |
| Paul Rakowsky (Interim) | 2019–Present | |
| Director of Building & Zoning Services | Scott Messer | 2016–present |
| Director of Civil Service | Amy DeLong | 2016–2024 |
| Jennifer Shea | 2024-present | |
| Source:[28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] | ||
Since 2019, Ginther and his family have lived in The Knolls, a subdivision in the northwest side of Columbus.[34]