Canton mayor's race: Willis Gordon thinks city is due for a turnaround
CANTON ‒ Willis Gordon hasn't taken a vacation in more than 10 years.
The 33-year-old has authored two books, served in the U.S. Navy, formed a musical band, started his own company and assisted with political campaigns. He is the veterans affairs chairman for the Ohio NAACP and one of five Democrats vying to be Canton's next mayor.
"I'm motivated to run for mayor of Canton because I love our city, and I have deep concerns about our future," Gordon said in a Canton Repository mayoral candidate questionnaire.
Among his concerns are the city's increase in violent crime, high rate of childhood poverty, and loss of businesses and population. Gordon said Canton's challenges require the dedication and "know-how" he possesses.
"I have never shied away from a challenge, whether it has been to serve and defend our country in a time of war in some of the most hostile regions in the world or protecting and promoting the welfare of our citizens of Canton," he said. "Canton desperately needs new, strong, innovative leadership. The failed politics of the past just won't cut it."
The Stark County Board of Elections initially disqualified Gordon as a candidate for a lack of valid petition signatures. The board then certified his candidacy after he submitted affidavits to show enough signatures were valid.
More:Q&A with Canton mayoral candidate Willis Gordon
Read more:Willis Gordon on using his voice for change, shares his Stark County favorites
Meet Willis Gordon
Gordon is a resident of Burnham Hills, a residential neighborhood just north of Martindale Park. He graduated from GlenOak High School in 2008 and received a bachelor's degree in history from Kent State University in 2022.
After his high school graduation, Gordon served in the U.S. Navy for four years and was deployed twice for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn. He received the Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, National Service Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
In 2015, he founded Willis Gordon Enterprises for his musical, comedy and other creative work.
Gordon is a board member of the Stark County Library Foundation and a member of the Plain Local Alumni Association. He also operated the Stark County sheriff's concealed handgun license office in Massillon.
His political involvement began in 2004 with field organizing, and he's also been involved in political strategy the past 10 years. Gordon worked on Barack Obama's U.S. Senate and presidential campaigns and Ken Harbaugh’s congressional campaign.
Hector McDaniel, who was the veterans ambassador for Kent State University's Stark campus, said Gordon had ambitions to serve the public back when he was a student.
"Conversations he and I have had over the years have always been somewhat around him seeking some kind of public office to better his community," he said.
McDaniel, who bested Gordon in the 2020 Stark County NAACP election for president, emphasized that the NAACP is bipartisan and his comments are not representative of the organization. He said Gordon, who served in the NAACP administration prior to McDaniel becoming president, was well-known in the community for his music and outgoing personality.
Gordon is a "visionary," McDaniel said, who wants the Canton community to prosper.
Political goals
Gordon's first priorities would be to improve public safety, economic development and infrastructure if he takes office.
His plan to reduce crime focuses on violent offenders and reinstating the Gang Task Force, which ended around 2009 and was criticized by local pastors who said it unfairly targeted Black residents in high-crime neighborhoods. Gordon said reviving the unit wouldn't revive past problems because his administration would ensure "constitutional and community policing" and well-trained officers.
"I will also establish a Youth Corps for the city of Canton, which will provide educational opportunities, job programs, spiritual support, mental health counseling, drug counseling, and other programs to get our kids out of the street and back on track," Gordon said.
Having lost his older brother to gun violence in Cleveland, Gordon said, he knows the pain caused by "senseless violence" and will work harder than anyone else to end it. He also recognizes the need for police reform ― "something you do with police, not to police."
In 2020, Gordon met with city leaders in Canton and North Canton in his former role as political and community outreach chairman for the Stark County NAACP. He helped bring their police departments into compliance with "8 Can't Wait" reforms. The national campaign created by Campaign Zero recommends eight policies, including banning chokeholds, to reduce the number of people killed by police.
Read more:Canton revises rules on police use of force
The 2020 police changes also included formal policies not to hire officers with a history of misconduct.
Gordon said there's always room for improvement, however, and proposes hiring mental health professionals to respond with police on certain calls and funding training related to police response tactics. In addition, he'd create an independent police auditor office ― similar to Akron's ― with one to two civilians providing police oversight.
"We also have to unburden the police," he said. "We cannot expect them to be priest, psychologist, bodyguard, and babysitter. Bringing in additional resources and reforms is the most pro-police thing we can do."
Gordon wants to seek funding for high-speed train connections between Canton, Akron and Cleveland, "creating jobs as well as creating a major regional metropolis." He also would pursue U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and state grants for a comprehensive neighborhood stabilization plan, which would focus on safety and upkeep in the city's residential areas.
"I really believe that the quality of life of any community is determined by the vitality of their neighborhoods and residential areas," Gordon said. "Canton is a city of neighborhoods, but our political leadership, in their haste to promote the Hall of Fame Village and downtown, has neglected our neighborhoods."
When it comes to the local economy, Gordon said, the mayor should be the "chief ambassador, advocate and investor." He would create an economic development plan with strategies for business recruitment and establish affordable childcare for Canton residents.
As part of his Youth Corps proposal, there would be a tuition forgiveness program for local students who work in the area for five years. He also believes investing in reliable public transportation, broadband internet access and the arts will help retain and attract residents to Canton, which he feels has lost its identity.
"I think that we're having some trouble believing that we can do bigger things or believing that we can be a great city, again, and a thriving hub for people where young people can stay and put down roots," he said.
Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.comOn Twitter: @kbyerREP
Mayoral forums
The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and Canton Repository, and the League of Women Voters of the Canton Area are hosting public forums with the mayoral candidates in advance of the May 2 primary:
The chamber and Repository will host The Future of Canton: 2023 Mayoral Primary Forum at 6:30 p.m. April 4 on the main stage of the Cultural Center Theater at 1001 Market Ave. N. The doors open at 5:30 p.m., and there will be a cash bar and hors d'oeuvres. The event will feature the only Democratic candidates because the Republican candidate is unopposed in the primary. Registration is required and $20 tickets can be purchased through the chamber's website: https://www.cantonchamber.org/2023-mayoral-primary-forum. The ticket revenue will cover the site rental and any excess will be donated. The event will be recorded and available afterward to the general public.
The League of Women Voters of the Canton Area will host a forum for all mayoral candidates at 7 p.m. April 13 in the Timken Commons, 521 Tuscarawas St. W. The event is free and open to the public. For more details, go to: https://cantonlwv.org.
Meet the candidates
The Repository also will profile the five Democratic candidates this week. Republican Roy Scott DePew is unopposed in the primary. The profiles will appear in the newspaper and at CantonRep.com as follows:
Monday: Kimberly D. Bell
Today: Willis Gordon
Wednesday: William V. Sherer II
Thursday: Bill Smuckler
Friday: Thomas West
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Willis Gordon thinks Canton is due for a turnaround
