Akron mayor

Six of the seven candidates running to be the next mayor of Akron attended the forum and discussed everything from housing to government transparency.

Some candidates called for Akron, which is has a growing immigrant and refugee population, to become a "sanctuary city."

The Akron Decides Survey, conducted between mid-January and early February, found respondents were undecided about who should succeed Mayor Dan Horrigan.

The debates are presented by the Akron Press Club and local media partners which will also release results of a poll on Akron voters' expectations of the next mayor on Feb. 27.

The candidates competing in the May Democratic primary are a mix of longtime Summit County politicians and a couple of newcomers.

Six people have said they are running - a mix of longtime Akron politicians and political newcomers. No Republicans have announced candidacies yet.

Horrigan was elected in 2015 and again in 2019. Some speculated he would not run for a third term after various challenges in his second term, including the fatal police shooting of Jayland Walker and subsequent protests.

The Ward 8 Councilman is launching his campaign for mayor, focusing on public safety. The municipal primary will be held in May 2023.

Several organizations have crafted a list of demands, including asking police to stop using tear gas and rubber bullets.

The statewide average of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents has decreased from 200 to just over 186 this week; the Akron Public School Board has selected to Christine Fowler-Mack for superintendent; Akron mayor Dan Horrigan is joining a group of other mayors and the organization Everytown for Gun Safety in calling on the U.S. Senate to take up two bills the House passed last month; and more stories.