Feb. 14 Summit County Board of Elections meeting
Covered by Documenter Wittman Sullivan (see his notes here) Correction: Bruce Bolden was born and raised in Akron, moved to Ward 8 in 2002.
Five candidates in two Akron City Council wards will be on the ballot for the May 6 Democratic primary election. The Summit County Board of Elections approved the candidate petitions Friday along with 50 others for primary races across Summit County.
The BOE rejected four petitions for various reasons, including insufficient valid signatures, fraud and technical errors.
Petition 57 appeared to have mostly fraudulent signatures written by a single person and did not match records, according to board officials. After rejecting the petition, board members voted to hold a hearing and subpoena the circulator, candidate and anybody responsible for the campaign. Board members and staff at the meeting referred to candidates by petition number. The list of petitions was not readily available to the public.
Three candidates vie to represent Ward 1
In Ward 1, incumbent Samuel DeShazior will face Emily Durway and Fran Wilson. DeShazior was appointed to his position by Akron City Council in January 2024 following Nancy Holland’s surprise resignation. The veteran City Hall employee was unanimously selected from a pool of 15 candidates.
“As I take this journey, it is my intent to learn from our citizens and share the best of my time and talents with this community,” DeShazior said in his 2024 application. “I’ve always known that Akron, Ohio was a special place and through collaboration and progressive work, Ward 1 can be the prototype for other neighborhoods to follow.”
Both Durway and Wilson applied for the position in 2024. Durway is an activist, artist and attorney, according to her campaign website.
“There is so much economic and cultural richness in our community whether you live on Treetop Trail or Crestwood Ave.,” Durway wrote in her 2024 application. “In this position, I look forward to combining my love of individual advocacy and passion for systemic and policy change.”
Wilson’s campaign website lists them as a community organizer and restaurant server.
“My neighbors deserve a passionate, informed, and on-the ground city council representative who is already doing the work that our neighborhoods need,” Wilson said in their 2024 application. “I think it’s about time that Highland Square, Downtown, University campus, West Hill, Merriman Hills and Valley, and Timbertop are represented in council by a renter, a young person, and an openly queer Akronite.”
Two candidates face off in Ward 8
In Ward 8, incumbent Bruce Bolden will be on the ballot with former Akron Board of Education President N.J. Akbar in the race for Northwest Akron’s Ward 8.
Council unanimously selected Bolden from 21 applications in July 2024 after James Hardy resigned. He previously served as a Ward 1 council member from 1991-1997.
Bolden was born and raised in Akron and moved to Ward 8 in 2002. He has professional experience working for Fortune 500 companies including UPS, according to his campaign website.
“Ward 8 residents expect timely responses to their inquiries and concerns,” Bolden said in his 2024 application. “I am fully aware of the time commitment here and as a salesperson, have a flexible schedule to meet the demands of this position. I am also aware of the May 2025 Primary cycle and have experience running in and winning local elections.”
Akbar is a U.S. Army veteran and the executive director of Black Elected Officials of Summit County, according to his campaign website biography. He serves on multiple community boards and committees, including 100 Black Men of Akron and the Akron Urban League Young Professionals. Akbar holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations of Education from Kent State University.
In his 2024 application for Hardy’s open seat, Akbar said, “for more than 15 years since I moved to the Akron area, I have become deeply involved in Akron’s advancement; and I am committed and willing to bring the city together to find innovative solutions to move us forward towards our bright future. I am all in!”
Voter registration deadline is April 7
The May 6 primary winners will be the presumptive winners for the general election since no Republican candidates filed petitions to be on the ballot. The term for both positions ends Dec. 31, 2027.
Voter registration deadline for the May 6 primary election is April 7. The BOE office is open until 9 p.m. that day. Learn more here.