Michael B. Coleman

Michael B. Coleman (born November 18, 1954) is an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 52nd mayor of Columbus, Ohio. He was the first African-American to serve as the mayor of Ohio's capital city. Coleman was a member of the Columbus City Council from 1992 to 1999, serving as its president from 1997 to 1999. In 1998, Coleman was the running mate for gubernatorial candidate Lee Fisher. Coleman ran for and won the Columbus mayorship in 1999 and was re-elected unopposed November 4, 2003. In February 2005, Coleman announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Ohio in the 2006 gubernatorial election, but subsequently dropped out of the race on November 29, 2005, citing heavy work and family obligations. In 2007, Mayor Coleman won a third term as mayor of Columbus. In 2011, he was re-elected for a fourth term. In January 2014, as he began his 15th year in office, Coleman achieved the distinction of being the longest-serving mayor in Columbus' history. On November 25, 2014, Coleman announced that he would not run for reelection. His final term in office ended on January 1, 2016, when he was succeeded by fellow Democrat Andrew Ginther.