Michael B. Coleman

Last updated

Frankie Coleman
​
​
(m. 1984;dissolved 2011)​
Janelle Simmons
​
(m. 2016)​
Michael B. Coleman
Michael Coleman 2014.jpg
52nd Mayor of Columbus
In office
January 1, 2000 –January 1, 2016
Residence(s) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Education University of Cincinnati (BA)
University of Dayton (JD)

Michael B. Coleman (born November 18, 1954 [1] ) 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.

Contents

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. [2]

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 became 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 Columbus City Council President and fellow Democrat Andrew Ginther.

Early life and education

Michael B. Coleman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on November 18, 1954, and moved to Toledo at an early age. After growing up in the Toledo area, Coleman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Cincinnati and a Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law. [1]

Career

Attorney

From 1984 to 1999, Coleman was an attorney in the business practice of Columbus law firm Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn Co. LPA, eventually becoming a partner. [3]

Columbus City Council

Michael B. Coleman began his career in public office when he was appointed to Columbus City Council in 1992. He was subsequently re-elected to two terms in office. Coleman served as Columbus City Council President from 1997 until his election as mayor in 1999.

1998 and 2006 gubernatorial races

Coleman was selected as the 1998 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Ohio, on the same ballot as Lee Fisher. Fisher and Coleman lost a heavily contested race to Bob Taft and Maureen O'Connor.

In 2005, Michael B. Coleman was the first Democrat to announce in the Democratic primary for governor of Ohio. But on November 29, 2005, he withdrew from the race, citing family concerns and also that the city of Columbus needed him in his current role as mayor.

Coleman later endorsed fellow Democrat Ted Strickland for governor. After Strickland's victory in November 2006, Coleman was selected as chair for Strickland's transition team.

Mayor of Columbus

American Electric Power CEO Michael G. Morris (left) and Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman (right) open the valve to inaugurate the new AEP Fountain at the reopening of Bicentennial Park in Columbus on July 7, 2011. Michael Morris July 2011.jpg
American Electric Power CEO Michael G. Morris (left) and Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman (right) open the valve to inaugurate the new AEP Fountain at the reopening of Bicentennial Park in Columbus on July 7, 2011.

After winning election in 1999, Coleman was re-elected as mayor of Columbus in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

Since 2000, under Mayor Coleman, the city of Columbus has spent $54 million less than budgeted. At the same time, he helped boost the city's spending on police and fire services from 63 percent of the city operating budget to 71 percent in 2005. Under Coleman, the city has also cut more than $190 million from continuation budgeting levels since 2000, despite increases in costs for medical insurance, wages and workers compensation. [4] As of 2013, bonds issued by the city of Columbus received a AAA bond rating from all three major rating services, the highest possible rating. [5] [6]

As of June 2007, Coleman was a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition [7] (now known as Everytown for Gun Safety), a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The coalition was then co-chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Coleman was a long-list finalist for the 2008 World Mayor award. [8]

2007 mayoral campaign

During the 2007 mayoral campaign, Coleman was opposed by lawyer William Todd, a Republican. Todd claimed Coleman was soft on crime and ineffective on economic development. Coleman was re-elected, with the certified results showing he received more than 69 percent of 105,792 votes cast to Todd's 30 percent. [9] [10]

2010 immigration debate

In the spring of 2010 Mayor Coleman banned city workers from traveling to Arizona in a boycott over an Arizona law allowing police officers to demand documentation of citizenship of anyone suspected of being in the United States illegally. Coleman compared the Arizona measure to 19th-century laws that required freed slaves to carry emancipation papers. He said his boycott was intended to show Arizona that its law enforcing illegal immigration measures is not the American way. While travel by city workers to Arizona is prohibited, police officers will be able to travel for the purpose of criminal extradition. Contracts with Arizona companies will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Mayor. Redflex Traffic Systems, which is based in Arizona, operates 20 red-light cameras in Columbus. The red-light cameras issue tickets to red-light runners, the program will not be rescinded as a result of the ban, and in fact the number of red-light cameras will double as recently approved by city council. [11]

Columbus Mayoral election, 2011

Mayor Coleman ran in 2011 for a fourth term as mayor of Columbus against Republican challenger Earl W. Smith. On November 8, 2011, Coleman won re-election, receiving just under 70 percent of 179,032 votes cast. [12] [13]

Longest-serving mayor

On January 2, 2014, Coleman began his 15th year in office and became the city's longest-serving mayor. He surpassed the tenure of M.E. "Jack" Sensenbrenner, who served a total of 14 years as mayor in separate tenures from 1954 to 1960 and 1964 to 1972. Coleman was also the country's longest-serving black mayor. [14]

Coleman in March 2016 Michael B Coleman March 2016.jpg
Coleman in March 2016

Return to private practice

On November 25, 2014, Coleman formally announced that he would not seek a fifth term as mayor of Columbus in the 2015 election. [15] In November 2015, Coleman announced that he would return in 2016 to the practice of law with Indianapolis-based law firm Ice Miller LLP, which merged with his old Columbus law firm Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn Co. LPA in 2012. Coleman serves as director of business and government strategies and a partner in the firm's Arena District office. [3] [16]

In March 2018, the City of Columbus dedicated its new municipal office building to Coleman. The Michael B. Coleman Government Center houses the Building and Zoning, Public Service and Development departments and some Public Utility offices. [17]

Personal life

In 1984, Coleman married his wife Frankie; it was the second marriage for both. The Colemans have three adult children: Kimberly; Justin, who is an officer with the Columbus Division of Police; and John-David, who served as a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. In October 2009, Mayor and Mrs. Coleman announced that they were in the process of divorcing. [18] In early 2011 the Colemans filed for a dissolution, which was subsequently granted. [19]

In September 2016, Coleman married longtime companion and president of the L Brands Foundation Janelle Simmons. [20]

Coleman is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi as well as a Prince Hall Freemason. He belongs to St. Mark's Lodge #7 in Columbus, Ohio. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Strickland</span> American politician (born 1941)

Theodore Strickland is an American politician who served as the 68th governor of Ohio from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 6th congressional district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Blackwell</span> American politician and activist

John Kenneth Blackwell is an American politician, author, and conservative activist who served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio (1979–1980), the Ohio State Treasurer (1994–1999), and Ohio Secretary of State (1999–2007). He was the Republican candidate for governor of Ohio in 2006, the first African-American major-party candidate for governor of Ohio. He is currently a Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment with The Family Research Council. He currently sits as Vice-President of the Executive Committee of the Council For National Policy and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio Republican Party</span> Ohio affiliate of the Republican Party

The Ohio Republican Party is the Ohio affiliate of the Republican Party. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1854.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Johnson (Ohio politician)</span> American politician

Bruce Edward Johnson is an American lawyer and Republican politician who was appointed the State of Ohio's 63rd lieutenant governor on January 5, 2005, to complete an unexpired term. Johnson concurrently served as Director of the Ohio Department of Development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Ohio gubernatorial election</span>

The 2006 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006, and was a race for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. Incumbent Governor Bob Taft could not run for re-election, because Ohio governors are limited to two consecutive terms in office. The election was held concurrently with a U.S. Senate election. The general election for governor pitted Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, the Republican nominee, against United States Congressman Ted Strickland of Ohio's 6th congressional district, the Democratic nominee. Their running mates were former Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher on the Democratic ticket and State Representative Tom Raga on the Republican ticket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Plusquellic</span> American mayor

Donald L. Plusquellic is the former mayor of Akron, Ohio. First elected in 1987, he became the 59th Mayor of Akron after previously serving 13 years on Akron City Council. Plusquellic has served his seventh term, making him the longest-serving mayor of the city. Plusquellic announced his resignation effective May 31, 2015, citing unfriendly coverage from the Akron Beacon Journal as his primary motivation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ONN (radio)</span> Television channel

The Ohio News Network (ONN) – also referred to off-air as ONN Radio – was a radio news service in the U.S. state of Ohio. Based at Columbus, Ohio radio station WBNS-FM and owned by Dispatch Broadcast Group, it provided statewide newscasts and sportscasts for more than 90 affiliate stations throughout the day, in addition to some seasonal long-form programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Moody (politician)</span> American politician

Tom Moody was the 49th mayor of Columbus, Ohio. A Republican, he served from 1972 to 1984. During his time in office, the Columbus Public School District was desegregated and the city's freeway system underwent significant expansion. The downtown skyline also grew during Moody's time in office. The city saw development of the Huntington Center, One Nationwide Plaza and the AEP Building. During his term, he was involved in a late night vehicle crash. Responding to suspicion that he was driving under the influence, Moody stated "I'm inspecting the city". Tom Moody died at the age of 78, on October 30, 2008, of natural causes, at Riverside Hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Boyce</span> American politician

Kevin L. Boyce is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party who currently serves as President of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. Formerly, he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 25th District from 2012 to 2016, a member of Columbus City Council, and was the 47th Ohio State Treasurer from 2009 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Espy</span> American politician

Ben E. Espy is a Democratic politician who formerly served in the Ohio Senate. A member of Columbus City Council from 1982 to 1992, Espy went on to obtain an appointment to the Ohio Senate after Senator Richard Pfeiffer resigned in 1992. He won election to fill the remainder of the term in 1992, and to a full term in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Bell (mayor)</span> American mayor

Michael P. Bell is a former Mayor of Toledo, Ohio who took office on January 4, 2010, and served until January 4, 2014. Bell previously served as Toledo Fire Chief and State Fire Marshal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Columbus, Ohio mayoral election</span>

The Columbus mayoral election of 2011 was the 84th mayoral election in Columbus, Ohio. It was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. Incumbent mayor Michael B. Coleman defeated challenger Earl W. Smith. The scheduled nonpartisan primary was canceled because only two candidates were able to make the ballot. While the election was formally nonpartisan, Coleman was affiliated with the Democratic party while Smith was affiliated with the Republican party. Coleman was re-elected to a fourth term and became the longest-serving mayor of Columbus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Ohio gubernatorial election</span>

The 2014 Ohio gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Republican governor John Kasich won reelection to a second term in office by a landslide over Democratic candidate Ed FitzGerald and Green Party candidate Anita Rios. Primary elections were held on May 6, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed FitzGerald</span> American politician (born 1968)

Edward FitzGerald is an American politician who served as the first Cuyahoga County Executive from 2011 until 2015. He was the Democratic Party nominee for governor of Ohio in the 2014 election, and was defeated by the incumbent, John Kasich. Before being elected county executive, FitzGerald served as mayor of Lakewood, Ohio; a Lakewood city councilman; an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor; and a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 United States elections</span>

The 2015 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 3. The off-year election included a special election for Speaker of the House. There were also gubernatorial and state legislative elections in a few states; as well as numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot.

The Columbus mayoral election of 1999 was the 81st mayoral election in Columbus, Ohio. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 1999. Republican party incumbent mayor Greg Lashutka retired from office after two consecutive terms in office. Democratic party nominee Michael B. Coleman defeated Republican party nominee Dorothy Teater. Coleman became the first African American elected as mayor of Ohio's capital city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States Senate election in Ohio</span>

The 2016 United States Senate election in Ohio was held November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Ohio, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The close of registration for electors in the primary election was December 16, 2015, and the primary election took place on March 15, 2016. Incumbent Republican U.S. senator Rob Portman faced former Democratic governor Ted Strickland. Green Party nominee Joseph DeMare was also on the ballot along with two other independent candidates and one officially declared write-in candidate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Columbus, Ohio mayoral election</span>

The 2015 Columbus mayoral election took place on November 3, 2015, to elect the Mayor of Columbus, Ohio. The election was officially nonpartisan, with the top two candidates from the May 5 primary advancing to the general election, regardless of party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Ginther</span> 53rd mayor of Columbus, Ohio, US

Andrew James Ginther is an American Democratic politician, the 53rd mayor of Columbus, Ohio, and the 48th person to serve in that office. He previously served as President of Columbus City Council from 2011 until 2015.

References

General
  1. 1 2 "Michael B. Coleman (Profile based on interview)". TheHistoryMakers.com. The HistoryMakers. April 4, 2012. Archived from the original on May 31, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  2. ↑ "GOP is underdog in Columbus in mayoral race with Coleman". Toledo Blade . Associated Press. October 26, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Carrie Ghose (November 11, 2015). "Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman to join Ice Miller (formerly Schottenstein Zox Dunn) upon leaving office". Columbus Business First. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  4. ↑ Dorrian, Hugh J. (November 7, 2011). "General Fund Resources & Uses 2001-2010" (PDF). City of Columbus Web site. Auditor's Office, City of Columbus. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Columbus Maintains Highest Possible Triple A Bond Rating". City of Columbus Web site. Auditor's Office, City of Columbus. Archived from the original on January 16, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Moody's assigns Aaa rating to the City of Columbus' Bonds". Moody's Investors Service . August 13, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members". Archived from the original on October 20, 2013.
  8. ↑ vom Hove, Tann. "The 2008 Results". WorldMayor.com. City Mayors Foundation. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Election results". Toledo Blade . November 6, 2007.
  10. ↑ "2007 Elections archive". Franklin County Board of Elections. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012.
  11. ↑ Vitale, Robert (May 20, 2010). "City ban on Arizona travel stokes immigration debate". The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)"
  13. ↑ "Coleman To Serve Fourth Term As Columbus Mayor". WBNS-TV. November 8, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  14. ↑ "The City: Coleman ready to break record as city's longest serving mayor". Columbus Dispatch. December 31, 2013.
  15. ↑ Sullivan, Lucas; Caruso, Doug (November 25, 2014). "Mayor Coleman announces he won't run next year". Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  16. ↑ Lucas Sullivan (November 11, 2015). "Mayor Coleman's plan: Finish term, join law firm". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  17. ↑ Earl Rinehart (March 22, 2016). "Downtown building to be named after former mayor Coleman". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Coleman Family Statement". WBNS 10-TV, Columbus, Ohio. October 16, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Frankie Coleman Pleads Guilty To Drunken-Driving Charge". WBNS 10-TV, Columbus, Ohio. December 22, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Mike Coleman Gets Married". Coumbus Monthly, Columbus, Ohio. October 10, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  21. ↑ Gray, David (2012). The History of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio F&AM 1971 – 2011: The Fabric of Freemasonry. Columbus, Ohio: Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio F&AM. p. 414. ISBN   978-0615632957. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
Specific
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
1998		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Columbus, Ohio
2000–2016		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.