For the second year in a row, Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin held a fundraiser 800 miles away from City Hall on Martha’s Vineyard.
The island off of Massachusetts is a popular retreat for affluent Democrats and Black professionals, not a typical stop on the Columbus political circuit. Hardin was on the island for the Black Economic Alliance’s annual Gathering on Martha’s Vineyard for the third year in a row, according to a campaign spokesperson.
Hardin has strongly hinted he may challenge Mayor Andrew Ginther, a fellow Democrat, in 2027 for the city’s top job. But he would face a well-funded Ginther campaign. The incumbent mayor raised over $470,000 in just the second quarter of 2026 and has about $1.7 million in cash on hand.
Hardin, who has not officially announced a bid for higher office, had about $425,000 on hand as of July 31, according to the latest campaign finance records,.
Hardin was joined at the Aug. 12 fundraiser by Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor. A former member of council, Favor cohosted the fundraiser, according to an invitation online.
Other fundraiser cohosts included powerful Black leaders from the Columbus area and elsewhere in the country. Top billing went to Stefanie Brown James and Quentin James, a couple who leads The Collective PAC, which is dedicated to electing Black candidates across the country.
Suggested contributions for Hardin’s fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard started at $250.
The Martha’s Vineyard fundraiser comes less than two weeks before Hardin’s 12th annual fish fry fundraiser in Columbus on Aug. 23. The local fundraiser offers $25 tickets and a menu of fried fish, baked beans and vegan pasta salad, per the invitation online.
It’s unclear if Ginther has ever held a fundraiser outside of central Ohio. He has cultivated political influence beyond the city though. Ginther’s traveled extensively nationally and internationally and served as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors for a year.
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 Council President Hardin fundraises on Martha’s Vineyard
Reporting by Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
