30 candidates file for Akron City Council races, including 3 Republicans

Mike Freeman, the longest-serving member currently on Akron City Council, is retiring.

“It’s time to let somebody else in there,” said Freeman, who's represented Kenmore for 22 years. He ran unopposed four years ago when he first asked Tina Boyes to run. She wasn't ready then.

This time around, Freeman is proud to say that the “young lady who has done so much on Kenmore Boulevard” is running to replace him in the upcoming May primary against another Democrat from Kenmore named Susan Culver, a retired supervisor in the city's Department of Neighborhood Assistance.

Akron mayor race: These eight people want to be the next mayor of Akron

This time next year, at least three new faces will grace Akron City Council as Freeman retires and two others run for mayor — Ward 8 Councilman Shammas Malik and Ward 5 Councilwoman Tara Mosley — effectively giving up their council seats in 2024.

Of 30 people who've filed candidacy for Akron council's 13 seats, only three are Republicans — two at-large and one in Kenmore. That's down from the 11 Republicans who filed to run for the same seats four years ago.

Four incumbents on the all-Democrat council — Phil Lombardo of Ward 2, Brad McKitrick of Ward 6, Donnie Kammer of Ward 7 and Sharon Connor of Ward 10 — have no challengers in the May 2 primary. With no Republicans signed up to oppose them, they could cruise to re-election, barring the off chance that a popular independent or write-in candidate comes forward in the next three months.

This municipal primary is only the second to be held in May since voters approved a charter change in 2018 to switch the date. Turnout fell significantly after the move.

All candidacy petitions filed this week will be reviewed for valid voter signatures and then certified or rejected by the bipartisan Summit County Board of Elections in the next two weeks.

Democrats have dominated Akron City Council for decades. Whoever wins the primary races on the left will likely get a nod from Akron’s more liberal voters in the fall. That’s why the election in May and earlier filing deadline this week are so critical.

The busiest race is the 10-person scramble among Democrats for three at-large seats, including the three incumbents and the president of the school board.

Here's a look at who's running:

Republicans at-large

With voters selecting three names from either party's ballot, Republicans Cynthia Blake and Vyrone Finney should advance to the November election for lack of competition in their at-large primary race.

Blake is a University of Akron graduate, a property manager at Millennia Housing in Barberton and a former banker. She's been active in community and politics, having run multiple times for city and county council, as well as serving as a member of the Inner City Republican Movement and assistant to the chairman for African American Engagement for the Summit County Republican Party.

"I care about my city. I love my city. I’m not a person trying to get out of here. I want to stay and make it better," said Blake, a Ward 3 resident who's "tired" of the apparent infighting between city council members. She said she'd rather see council members host joint meetings on common goals.

Finney is East High School principal on unpaid leave. He was acquitted last year of allegations that he assaulted a student. He's still involved in litigation with the school district over that matter.

Finney graduated from Buchtel before attending college in Alabama and earning a master's degree from UA. He's a pastor at Second Baptist Church who works these days as a real estate agent. And he continues to host school supply collections and coat giveaways for kids, he said, while running his nonprofit organization VAF Community Health and Wellness Foundation.

"It’s time for a different set of eyes to see things from another point of view," Finney said of being a Republican running for office in Akron. "I think a lot of complacency has set in around the city."

Democrats at-large

Eric Garrett Sr., who founded a local barbershop college for Black men, created a student scholarship to honor Finney. Theirs is a rare spark of bipartisan camaraderie in the upcoming race.

"He's a phenomenal person. My son went to East," Garrett said. "Finney really helped him out. He was a mentor to Eric, and he was a nice person."

Garrett is among 10 Democrats, three of whom will advance in the May primary to face Finney and Blake.

They are: incumbents Ginger Baylor, Jeff Fusco and Linda Omobien; community activist Fran Wilson, 27, of West Hill; Akron school board President Derrick Hall, 46, of Northwest Akron; Jarreua McClendon, 41, of East Akron; retired equal opportunity officer Ronald Smith, 71, of Sherbondy Hill; author Johnny Osby Jr., 46, of West Akron; and cement mason Lamont Porter, 61, of Sherbondy Hill.

Ward 1

Councilwoman Nancy Holland, 62, will be running against Jude Yovichin, 19, in the Democratic primary.

Yovichin is the youngest candidate running for council. He graduated last year from Archbishop Hoban High School, where he led the school to the regional mock trials and served as student council executive co-president. He was named a Commended Student in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program for his high score on a college entrance exam.

Ward 2

Incumbent, first-term Councilman Phil Lombardo is running unopposed. No Republicans filed.

Ward 3

Incumbent Margo Sommerville, 42, who serves as council president, will face Damarios Walker, 48, in the Democratic primary. No Republicans filed.

Ward 4

Incumbent Russ Neal, 60, will face Will Blake, 29, and Jan Davis, 69, in the Democratic primary. No Republicans filed.

Ward 5

With Mosley running for mayor, her opponent from 2019, 75-year-old Johnnie Hannah, will face Shamoriea Hilliard, 37, in the Democratic primary. No Republicans filed.

Ward 6

Incumbent, first-term Councilman Brad McKitrick is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. No Republicans filed.

Ward 7

Incumbent Donnie Kammer is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. No Republicans filed.

Ward 8

With first-term Councilman Malik running for mayor, Mayor Dan Horrigan's former chief of staff, James Hardy, will face homeless activist and businessman Sage Lewis.

Hardy, 38, resigned from Horrigan's cabinet in 2021 to take a position with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He previously served on the Akron school board.

Lewis, 51, has previously run for Akron mayor. He's currently appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court a decision by the city that shut down a homeless camp he allowed on his business property in Akron's Middlebury neighborhood.

Ward 9

With longtime Councilman Freeman retiring, Boyes, 48, and Culver, 58, will square off in the Democratic primary. The winner will face Republican Micah Townsend in November.

Ward 10

First-term incumbent Sharon Connor is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. No Republicans filed.

Reporter Anthony Thompson contributed to this report. Reach reporter Doug Livingston at dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3792.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 27 Democrats and 3 Republicans are running for Akron City Council