Two seats, five candidates, six figures: Inside campaign donations for Akron City Council

The three candidates vying to represent Ward 1 and the two candidates vying to represent Ward 8 in Akron City Council have collectively raised more than $100,000 from more than 600 donors throughout the country for their campaigns, according to the final financial disclosures made ahead of Tuesday’s primary election. 

The filings, obtained through the Summit County Board of Elections, detail the political heavy hitters, business interests, activists, political action committees, unions, and everyday Akronites putting their money behind their preferred candidates. 

In Ward 1, Samuel DeShazior is hoping to hold on to the seat he was appointed to last year after Nancy Holland resigned. A former deputy mayor for economic development, DeShazior received the maximum contributions allowed of $750 from four business leaders, the Plumbers & Pipefitters union and the backing of much of Akron City Hall, among other donors. DeShazior, who lived in Georgia prior to moving to Akron in the 1980s, took in donations from more than 21 people in his former state. 

DeShazior is challenged by activist Fran Wilson, who raised the most money of any candidate this cycle by securing hundreds of small and often recurring donations almost exclusively from Akronites.

Emily Durway, a public defender in the running for the Ward 1 seat, is backed by Mustard Seed Market’s president and a handful of local attorneys but has fewer donors and less money than her competitors. 

In Ward 8, Bruce Bolden is hoping to keep the seat he was appointed to when James Hardy resigned last year. Bolden’s campaign coffer is bolstered by a $10,000 loan he made to himself, maximum donations of $750 from six local business leaders, and donations from other executives, labor unions, and other residents.

Challenger N.J. Akbar raked in roughly half as much money, $14,159.03, as Bolden did at $28,207.09 (including the $10,000 loan he made to his own campaign), but from nearly twice as many donors, none of whom were close to reaching the $750 cap. 

Both Bolden and Akbar have support from prominent local officials. Bolden has financial backing from his City Council colleagues DeShazior, Margo Sommerville, Jeff Fusco, Brad McKitrick, and Phil Lombardo, while Akbar received financial backing from U.S. Rep Emilia Sykes, Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin, Akron Fire Chief Leon Henderson, and Deputy Police Chief Michael Miller. Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro donated $250 to Bolden, while Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich gave $200 to Akbar. 

A note on mapping donations

Signal Akron logged the addresses associated with each donation for all five candidates listed in their final pre-primary campaign finance disclosures to show where the money is coming in from. 

While the data is useful to show general trends, some of the 600-plus entries may not accurately reflect where the donors presently live. Some donors listed their business addresses, some donors listed P.O. Box numbers and a couple of entries had no address information at all. 

One of Durway’s maximum donations came from a man with no address or employment information listed and his last name was misspelled. Durway confirmed the man is her cousin, who lives in the Portland, Oregon, area. 

And some of the home addresses are outdated. For example, Brittany Grimes Zaehringer, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik’s chief of staff, wrote DeShazior’s campaign a $150 check on Jan. 16. That entry lists an address in Syracuse, New York, (where she used to live) incorrectly implying that money came in from out of state. Less than three weeks later, she wrote a $100 check to Bolden’s campaign, and that entry lists an Akron address. 

And while 19 out of more than 450 donations to Wilson list out-of-state addresses, Signal Akron confirmed at least a handful of those donations were actually made from people living in Akron. Four donations came from a woman listing a Maryland address, but public records show she bought a house in Ward 1 in 2021, and she was quoted in the Akron Beacon Journal as a parent of an Akron Public Schools student in September 2024, before the Maryland-listed donations were made; her most recent donations list her Akron address.

At least four other supposedly out-of-state Wilson donations came from people registered to vote in Summit County. 

Ward 8

N.J. Akbar – Ward 8 candidate running against Bruce Bolden

Total contributions: 115

Amount raised: $14,159.03

Out-of-state donations: 10

Donors with maximum $750 contributions: 0

Largest donors: 

• $400 – Michael Williams, former Akron City Council member
• $350 – Edward Omobien, businessman and husband of City Council Member Linda Omobien
• $250 – Emilia Sykes, U.S. Representative
• $250 – Lee Shackelford (Columbus), listed as a Columbus-based yoga instructor
• $250 – LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based PAC that “works to elect pro-equality, pro-choice candidates who are out members of the LGBTQ+ community to public office.”
• $250 – LEAD Ohio, a Columbus-based PAC that supports progressive candidates from “underserved and underrepresented” communities
• $250 – Ronald Stovall, Global Remote Support Services director at Rockwell Automation
• $250 – Arell Tee, Habitat for Humanity of Summit County’s neighborhood network manager

Other notable public figures and elected officials:

• $50 – Tracy Carter, lobbyist for Summa Health System
• $105.05 – Tara Mosley (campaign committee), former Akron City Council member
• $100 – Leon Henderson, Akron Fire Department chief
• $100 – Michael Miller, Akron Police Department deputy chief
• $200 – Elliot Kolkovich, Summit County prosecutor
• $40 – Eufrancia Lash, City of Akron Department of Neighborhood Assistance director
• $50 – Elisa Hill, Summit County Domestic Relations Court magistrate
• $150 – Brandon Ford, Summit County Council member
• $150 – Tavia Galonski, Summit County Clerk of Courts
• $100 – Shannon Hardin (campaign committee), Columbus City Council president
• $40 – John Beaty, reverend and activist
• $100 – Curtis Walker, reverend and former Akron school board member
• $100 – Job Esau Perry, former Akron school board member

Political action committees:

• $250 – LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
• $250 – LEAD Ohio,

Out-of-state donations: 

• Maryland: 4
• Michigan, Washington, D.C.: 3
• North Carolina: 2
• Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois: 1

Bruce Bolden – Incumbent Ward 8 candidate running against N.J. Akbar

Total contributions: 65

Amount raised: $28,207.09, including $10,000 loan from himself

Out-of-state donations: 2

Donors with maximum $750 contributions: 6

Largest donations:

• $750 – Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union #219, the Akron-based chapter of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada
• $750 – Roger Read, businessman and philanthropist
• $750 each – Tom and Shelley Koutnik, philanthropists
• $750 – C. David Worhatch, labor attorney
• $750 – John Blickle, McDonald’s franchisee

Notable public figures and elected officials:

• $100 – Margo Sommerville, Akron City Council president
• $100 – Phil Lombardo, Akron City Council member
• $250 – Brad McKitrick (campaign committee), Akron City Council member
• $150 – Jeff Fusco (campaign committee), Akron City Council member
• $100 – Samuel DeShazior, Akron City Council member
• $100 – Brittany Grimes Zaehringer, Mayor Shammas Malik’s chief of staff
• $150 – Esther Thomas, City of Akron director of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• $100 – Suzie Graham Moore, City of Akron economic development director
• $100 – Steve Fricker, City of Akron director of finance
• $150 – Chris Ludle, City of Akron public service director
• $240 – Derrick Hall, state representative and former Akron school board member
• $47 – Rene Molenaur, Akron school board member
• $250 – Ilene Shapiro (campaign committee) – Summit County executive
• $96 – James Hardy, former Akron City Council member, who preceded Bolden in office
• $96 – John Schmidt, Summit County Council member
• $240 – Robert Gippin, attorney and Akron Citizens’ Police Oversight Board member
• $300 – William Scala, Kenmore Construction vice president
• $250 – James Lawrence, Oriana House president and CEO
• $481 – Adam Thomarios, Klutch Cannabis founder and CEO
• $500 – John Smith, H. M. Miller Construction Co. president 

Political action committees:

• $200 – Labors Local Union #184  (the union registered at that Wolf Ledges Parkway address is Laborers Local Union No. 894)
• $750 – Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union #219
• $100 – IBEW PAC voluntary fund, a Washington, D.C.-based PAC for the union representing electrical workers
• $250 & $200 – Builders PAC of Greater Akron

Out-of-state donations:

• Illinois: 1
• Washington, D.C.: 1

Ward 1

Samuel DeShazior – Incumbent Ward 1 candidate running against Fran Wilson and Emily Durway

Total contributions: 103

Amount raised: $21,580

Out-of-state donations: 32

Donors with maximum $750 contributions: 5

Largest donors: 

• $750 – Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union #219
• $750 – John Blickle, McDonald’s franchisee
• $750 – Roger Read, businessman and philanthropist
• $750 – Marc Divis, Akron Energy Systems president
• $750 – David Venarge, Akron Paint & Varnish Co. owner
• $500 – Darius Grice, T.H.C. Construction president
• $500 – Elizabeth Bartz, State and Federal Communications Inc. president and CEO
• $500 – Elgie Sims, Illinois state senator in the Chicago area 
• $500 – Kenneth Davis, a Marengo, Ohio attorney
• $500 – Bob Lanier, The Summit magazine and Black Pages Ohio publisher
• $500 – Al Reid, a Northbrook, Illinois resident

Notable public figures and elected officials:

• $50 – Tracy Carter, lobbyist for Summa Health System
• $250 – Cheryl Stephens, East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation president and CEO
• $100 – Sean Vollman, City of Akron economic development deputy director
• $50 – Jennifer Towell, Summit County Court of Common Pleas judge
• $250 – Albert Bragg, Alpha Phi Alpha Homes executive director
• $250 – Brian Rice, 3M senior vice president (Roswell, Georgia)
• $250 – Ilene Shapiro, Summit County executive
• $150 – Jeff Fusco, Akron City Council member
• $250 – Brad McKitrick, Akron City Council member
• $25 – Johnnie Hannah, Akron City Council member
• $100 – Don Plusquellic, former Akron mayor
• $250 – Malcolm Costa, Akron Summit Community Action president and CEO
• $150 – Donzell Taylor, Welty Construction
• $739 – Tony Troppe, real estate developer (donated event space at HÜG Place)
• $150 – Bryan Angeloni, City of Akron deputy law director
• $50 – Patrick Bravo, Summit County Land Bank executive director
• $150 – Eufrancia Lash, City of Akron Department of Neighborhood Assistance director
• $150 – Chris Ludle, City of Akron public service director
• $100 – Garry Moneypenney, former Akron City Council president and mayor
• $100 – Jane Bond, attorney and former Summit County Court of Common Pleas judge
• $150 – Brittany Grimes Zaehringer, Mayor Shammas Malik’s chief of staff
• $100 – Esther Thomas, City of Akron director of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• $100 – Steve Fricker, City of Akron finance director
• $25 – Jan Davis, Akron City Council member

Political action committees:

• $750 – Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union #219

Out-of-state donors:

• Georgia: 21
• Florida: 3
• Illinois: 2
• Texas: 2
• Massachusetts: 1
• North Carolina: 1
• New York: 1
• Alabama: 1

Emily Durway – Ward 1 candidate running against Samuel Deshazior and Fran Wilson

Total donations: 33

Amount raised: $6,492.18

Out-of-state donors: 9

Donors with maximum $750 donation: 2

Largest donors: 

• $750 – Phillip Nabors, Mustard Seed Market president
• $750 – Andrew Gustely, Durway’s cousin in the Portland, Oregon, area
• $500 – Marjorie Moyar, retiree
• $500 – Judith Nicely, former Summit County Common Pleas Court judge
• $350 – Donald K. Pond, attorney

Other notable public figures and elected officials:

• $100 – William Jordan III, former University of Akron law professor
• $96 – Adam Van Ho, attorney
• $96 – Julie Toth, attorney

Out-of-state donors:

• Missouri: 2
• Maryland: 1
• Illinois: 1
• Washington: 1
• North Carolina: 1
• New York: 1
• Colorado: 1
• California:1

Fran Wilson – Ward 1 candidate against Samuel DeShazior and Emily Durway

Total donations: 454

Amount raised: $29,915.53

Out-of-state donations: 19

Donors with maximum $750 donation: 2

Largest donors:

• $750 – H. Drewry Gores, a Cincinnati-based attorney
• $750 – Arell Tee, Habitat for Humanity of Summit County neighborhood network manager
• $400 – Linda Omobien, Akron City Council
• $400 – David Griffin
• $330 – Andrew Rodgers, Vista Corp.
• $355 – Keith Freund, Akron-Summit County Public Library branch manager
• $330 – Lisa Owings, attorney

Other notable public figures and elected officials:

• $25 – Tim Baxter, Baxter’s Speakeasy owner
• $50 – Elizabeth Bonham, civil rights attorney

Out-of-state donations:

• New York (three total donors): 4
• Maryland (from one person): 4
• Indiana: 3
• Pennsylvania: 2
• North Carolina (from one person): 2
• Washington, D.C.: 1 
• Michigan: 1
• New Mexico: 1
• Virginia: 1