Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan will not run for reelection in 2023

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan will not run for reelection in 2023, he announced early Tuesday evening.

"After much consideration and self-reflection, I have decided not to seek a third term as the mayor of this great city," Horrigan wrote in an emailed statement. "My reasons are my own, and they are without regret. It is the honor of my professional lifetime to serve as Akron’s 62nd mayor. It is my intention to complete my second term through December 2023 with the same vigor and integrity that I hope I have displayed so far. There’s still more work to be done."

Horrigan's announcement clears the way for a slate of mayoral hopefuls waiting for his decision, some of whom said they would run given the position's vacancy.

So far, the only candidates who have filed to run are Ward 8 Councilman Shammas Malik and Chapel Hill resident Joshua Schaffer. (Political activist Sage Lewis has said he planned to withdraw his mayoral bid following Malik's announcement and instead declare intent to run for the Ward 8 seat.)

Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Affairs Marco Sommerville announced late Tuesday that he will run as well.

Horrigan, a former Ward 2 councilman serving as the elected clerk at the county courthouse, was elected mayor in November 2015 following the surprise resignation of Don Plusquellic, who served for 28 years.

As mayor, Horrigan has worked to bring several economic development plans to life. During his 2019 reelection bid he also successfully campaigned to unseat several City Council members who defied his legislative agenda.

As he headed into his second term, the end was in sight for the business-crippling reconstruction of downtown Main Street. As a measure of economic activity, income tax receipts boomed as residential construction took off after decades of stagnation. Horrigan's new 15-year, 100% tax abatement program on new homes and apartments had jumpstarted interest from developers and homebuilders.

Then the pandemic hit, sending home office workers whom downtown shops and restaurants depend on to survive and thrive. The mayor knelt that first summer of the pandemic in the streets of Akron alongside people who protested the Minneapolis police officer who murdered George Floyd.

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There was reflection and calm as Horrigan and Council got to work on passing swift and long-term police reform. Then, less than three months ago, the social pillars of the city shook again with the June 27 police killing of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man shot 46 times after leading officers on a crosstown car and short foot chase.

Grappling with the pace and form of police reform has again put the mayor at odds with some members of Council and leaders in the Black community. Meanwhile, the police union and new chief fear an exodus of young officers if activists get the extrajudicial accountability they've been demanding in the streets for nearly three months.

In his statement, Horrigan thanked the community for continuing to place its trust in him as a leader.

"Many of you have supported my vision for the community throughout my tenure" as mayor, her wrote, "and some through almost 30 years of public service. Finally, thank you to my family. My wife Deanna, daughters Cassidy, Kennedy and Camille, granddaughters Luca and Winter, my mom, sisters, brother and all who have supported me throughout this time. I’ve been blessed beyond belief."

The municipal primary will take place in May 2023, with voters deciding the fate of the mayor's office and Akron City Council in November.

Reporter Doug Livingston contributed to this story. Abbey Marshall is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Learn more at reportforamerica.org. Contact her at amarshall1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Mayor of Akron: Dan Horrigan says he will not seek third term in 2023