Fran Wilson will be the new council representative for parts of Central and Northwest Akron.
Wilson, a Democrat, defeated Independent candidate Acacia Reynolds with 86% of the vote for Ward 1, according to unofficial results from the Summit County Board of Elections.
Wilson defeated incumbent Sam DeShazior in the May primary election. DeShazior was appointed in 2024 after Nancy Holland unexpectedly resigned.
“We’ve had a series of appointment processes that have led us to this election," Wilson told Ideastream Public Media Tuesday night. "I am very excited to bring a fresh voice to council, and to connect neighbors and to get our ward organized.”
Ward 1 covers parts of Downtown and the northwest neighborhoods of West Hill, Highland Square and Merriman Hills.
City of Akron
Wilson, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, resides in Akron’s West Hill neighborhood. They grew up in Akron and said their family has resided there for four generations.
Wilson has heard residents are feeling "overwhelmed" from the current national and state political climate, they said.
Given this, their top priority is to help connect the Ward 1 community.
“Get to know each other, understand who lives across the street, and across the hall and just connect people," Wilson added. "That is going to be my main priority coming into this seat — is connection.”
Wilson has not previously held an elected office but is no stranger to city council. They ran for an at-large council seat in 2023. They’ve been actively involved in the community and attended city council meetings regularly for the last five years, they said. They have also served on the Akron Civil Rights Commission.
Wilson plans to prioritize housing and transparency as a new council member. Specifically, they’d like to better regulate out-of-town landlords and protect renters’ rights.
The ward includes Timber Top, an apartment complex that has been plagued with poor housing conditions and issues for several years, including a carbon monoxide leak that killed one person and sickened several others in 2022.
"We need to deliver some changes to the housing code, and bring a little more accountability to the housing space," Wilson said. "Long-term, we also need to adopt a mentality that everyone deserves a place to live."
Wilson also wants to increase citizens’ input in local government.
In 2023, Akron City Council approved an ordinance restricting public comment to 10 speakers per meeting. Speakers must wait 30 days to participate in public comment again after speaking.
“We have seen the public's voice being cut back and neighbors being cut off during city council meetings, public comments being restricted and the latter,” Wilson said. “We need a city councilor who advocates for the public voice and expands public comment.”
Wilson also supports police reform. There is a “small conservative bloc” of current council members voting against common sense reforms, they said.
“We need to start to do some real policy work and building to heal some of these wounds and to plan for a better future,” Wilson said.
Wilson is the third council member in the city's history who is openly a member of the LGBTQ+ community, they said, and the first non-binary representative.
“I very much look forward to representing our queer constituency, which is an ever-growing and ever-colorful constituency that deserves a voice and representation in our local halls of power," Wilson said.
One other council race on the ballot
Additionally, Ward 8 Councilmember Bruce Bolden will remain the representative of the city’s Northwest Side. Bolden ran unopposed.
Ward 8 covers parts of the Merriman Valley, Wallhaven, Northwest Akron and Fairlawn Heights.
