Columbus Councilor Byron Hickey plans run for mayor. What we know.
Columbus Councilor Byron Hickey plans to announce his candidacy for Columbus mayor at a news conference Friday, he confirmed to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Hickey, a retired police officer who serves District 1, will be the second Columbus councilor joining the 2026 mayoral race, with Councilor Joanne Cogle of District 7 also running.
Hickey was appointed to the Columbus Council District 1 seat last year after the death of Councilor Jerry “Pops” Barnes.
As a councilor, Hickey made the motion to appoint Columbus Councilor John Anker to fill the late Councilor Judy Thomas’ citywide District 9 seat amid dispute and debate between supporting and opposing councilors. Hickey also has raised concerns about the ethics of fired city manager Isaiah Hugley, who also is running for mayor.
City law prohibits Mayor Skip Henderson from serving a third term, so next year’s mayoral race is expected to be competitive with no incumbent.
Hickey will be the sixth person to enter the running for mayor in 2026. If he or Hugley wins, they would be the first elected Black mayor of Columbus.
Readers can find the full list of candidates here.
Hickey said his news conference will be 11 a.m. Friday at the City Services Center, but he declined to comment further for this story.
This is a developing story, and will be updated with more information.
This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 9:51 AM.
