Best views, weather, etc. How to test them 👓 SC, Ala. sites look back Betty Ford honored
ELECTIONS
Akron, OH

Who is Shammas Malik? Meet Akron's new presumptive mayor

Shammas Malik currently represents Ward 8 on Akron City Council

Emily Mills
Akron Beacon Journal

Shammas Malik has been elected the presumptive mayor of Akron — the first person of color to hold the position in the city's history — by an unexpectedly huge margin, according to final unofficial results from the Summit County Board of Elections.

With 100% of precincts reporting, Malik received 43.15% of the vote, at 8,303 votes, followed by Marco Sommerville at 4,944 votes, Tara Mosley at 3,361 votes, Jeff Wilhite at 1,549 votes, Mark Greer at 816 votes, Keith Mills at 143 votes and Joshua Schaffer at 124 votes.

Election 2023:Here's who won in the Greater Akron, Summit County primary

Tuesday's election was only the primary, but because no Republicans ran for Akron mayor, no independents filed and any write-in candidates in the November general election would be unlikely to win, Malik is the presumptive winner for the mayor's seat.

Here's more information on who Malik is, from his campaign website and from his interview with the Beacon Journal when he announced he was running for mayor.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Who is Shammas Malik?

Shammas Malik thanks his supporters as he gives his victory speech at his mayoral watch party in the atrium of the John S. Knight Center in Akron on Tuesday.

Malik, 32, grew up in Northwest Akron and attended Firestone High School, The Ohio State University (where he studied political science and international studies) and Harvard Law School. After graduating cum laude from law school, Malik returned to Akron in 2016.

Malik has said he learned about the importance of public service, education and hard work from his mom, Dr. Helen Qammar, who taught chemical engineering at the University of Akron.

He recalled summers spent interning at various government agencies in Washington, D.C. It was when he was working at the Pentagon that he felt called back to his hometown.

Akron mayor results:'Change is coming': Shammas Malik wins Akron mayor's race in Democratic primary

"I was really interested in national security, being a Muslim-American in a post-9/11 world," Malik said. He called the work "deeply fulfilling" and "inspiring," but quickly learned that it kept him out of policy discussions.

"I knew if I went back home, I would have more of an opportunity to make an impact."

Malik started working as an assistant director of law in the city's law department before quitting to run his council campaign in the fall of 2019. He was elected to represent Akron City Council's Ward 8 in 2019 and officially started on council in January 2020.

Shammas Malik delivers his victory address at his mayoral watch party in the atrium of the John S. Knight Center in Akron on Tuesday.

Why did Shammas Malik run for Akron mayor?

Malik announced he was running for Akron mayor in September 2022.

"It shouldn't just be my vision for Akron's future," Malik said at the time. "We should have a collective vision for our city's future that everyone can get behind, regardless of your political party, your race, your life experience. We need to all be running in the same direction."

Malik called the city's current government "mayor-heavy," saying that under his administration, he would love a more involved City Council, shifting the representatives' part-time status to full-time with increased support staff.

"Often, ward councilpeople are closest to their residents, and they are hearing things directly from people," he said.

Malik cited "missed opportunities" for citizen input in major policy and funding decisions, most notably the city's $145 million in federal stimulus dollars allocated by the American Rescue Plan Act. In 2021, Mayor Dan Horrigan announced his priorities for expenditure, including plans to address youth violence, housing, small business assistance, public spaces and more.

In early conversations about ARPA spending, Malik opposed giving the mayor's office authorization to spend the entire budget without more specific details and programs.

Summit County primary election updates:Shammas Malik wins Akron mayor race

"There are things with the mayor's priorities I've agreed with and things I've disagreed with, but all the priorities were made by administration and there was very little opportunity for citizen input or for council input," he said. "I think the result has been we've really struggled to get money out the door, because there's not a lot of consensus about how the money is being spent."

He also noted that often, legislation appears before council fully formed, flagging the opportunity to include residents in earlier stages.

"I think things have been historically too top down and a little too reactive, and there's an opportunity to be more collaborative and be more open," he said.

Shammas Malik is congratulated by his supporters as he makes his way to the stage at his mayoral watch party in the atrium of the John S. Knight Center in Akron on Tuesday.

Malik plans to increase that engagement by "meeting people where they're at," utilizing social media campaigns, door-knocking, focus groups, newsletters and other outreach strategies.

A key component to his campaign is offering a city administration that looks like the community it serves: geographically, racially, in regards to gender, LGBTQ status, ability and life experience.

Malik has spent his time on City Council pushing for issues that affect marginalized groups across the city, including supporting the civilian oversight board for the Akron Police Department, an issue he has advocated for since assuming office in 2020.

He also pressed the city to implement recommendations outlined by the city's Racial Equity and Social Justice task force during the budgeting process, posing questions that ultimately led to the creation of a cabinet-level position focused on citywide equity efforts.

What is Shammas Malik's plan for Akron?

Malik's campaign focused on four areas as part of his "Together for Akron" plan: safety, economic development, health/housing and education.

The "Safer Together" plan includes incorporating community policing into every police officer's job duties to build trust with and get to know the community, piloting at least one police substation to support community policing efforts and developing a program in which mental health workers and social workers respond to low-risk, non-violent calls alongside officers.

The plan also calls for more funding for training, requiring body cameras for officers on SWAT detail and off-duty jobs, working with the police department to review practices around traffic stops and police chases and attracting and retaining police officers with fair pay and by improving support programs for officers. Malik specifically noted he won't "defund the police."

Within six months of becoming mayor, Malik will decide on either fully renovating the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center, which houses the police department, or selecting a new location.

Shammas Malik gets a congratulatory hug from his uncle Chuck as his aunt Mary looks on  in his strategy room at his mayoral watch party in the atrium of the John S. Knight Center in Akron on Tuesday.

Malik said he'll also focus on youth violence prevention with community organizations, neighborhood groups and schools on youth recreation and arts, job training and career exploration programs, mentorship and peer outreach and mental health supports, as well as reentry supports and other specific interventions for youth involved in violence.

Malik's "Working Together" plan includes modernizing the city website, ensuring language accessibility and streamlining the permitting and contracting processes to make it easier to do business in Akron.

It also includes focusing on the work of Elevate Greater Akron and staffing, funding a downtown community development corporation to coordinate real estate development activities, opening up the city's community learning centers for certificate or skills training programs and building deeper partnerships with the neighborhood community development corporations.

The "Living Together" plan calls for the implementation of the Right To Counsel program so tenants facing eviction have legal representation, partnering with Akron Municipal Court to improve the current housing mediation program and modernizing the enforcement of housing code violations.

It also includes plans to work with the Continuum of Care coalition on options to address homelessness, like additional emergency shelters and tiny homes, as well as testing financial tools like gap financing and loan guarantee funds so residents can directly access private loans to rehab older homes or build new infill construction on vacant lots.

Malik said his administration will also prioritize public engagement at the beginning of the development process for big housing projects, so residents ideas and concerns are heard before projects are finalized between city staff and developers.

On climate change and the environment, Malik said Akron will join Power a Clean Future Ohio. Malik said he will also hire a cabinet-level staff member focused on environmental sustainability.

Malik said that with local local health care and nonprofit organizations, he'll also continue to focus on improving Black maternal and infant vitality, emphasize preventative health measures, fight chronic diseases and implement the Age Friendly Akron plan, as well as bring a trauma-informed approach to the work of city government.

Shammas Malik poses with supporter Mike and Tracy Reiss at his mayoral watch party in the atrium of the John S. Knight Center in Akron on Tuesday.

The "Learning Together" plan calls for universal pre-K in Akron and opening the city's community learning centers as neighborhood centers outside of school hours and also making them neighborhood hubs for workforce programs.

Malik, who hosted four "Akron Speaks" events for residents to share their thoughts and ideas during the campaign, also shared his "values for campaigning and governing":

  • "Everyone deserves to be treated with honesty, dignity, and respect — especially when we disagree. Disagreements over policy or politics are inevitable and important. Personal disagreements or attacks are not.
  • "Author David Giffels writes that in Akron, we take the hard way on purpose. We embrace that identity by leaning into complexity and nuance. We must listen more than we speak, and seek to understand where each person is coming from. We must understand our history and respect the hard work of those who came before us, while being honest about what needs to change.
  • "Akron is full of all kinds of people, with all kinds of perspectives and experiences. A collective vision for Akron’s future requires as many voices at the table as possible. Our campaign and our city government should look like Akron in race, ethnicity, gender, age, geography, socioeconomic background, ability, sexual orientation and gender identity, language, background, life experience, and more.
  • "We will engage folks intentionally, with a process by which feedback can be heard and reflected in our platform and policies. We may not adopt every idea, but we will engage people in a positive and respectful way that empowers them to keep participating."

Why did Akron voters choose Shammas Malik as mayor?

Supporters of Malik have said they like his youthful optimism, calm demeanor, articulated plans and willingness to collaborate and listen to others.

In a victory speech, Malik said voters sent a "clear message" in the primary election.

"We know this election was won one conversation at a time" with "a positive message about the future of our city," Malik said.

He thanked the other candidates for their ideas and campaigns, pledged to work for those who did not vote for him and thanked Mayor Dan Horrigan and his team for their eight years of service. Malik said his goal is a seamless transition between now and January.

Contact Beacon Journal reporter Emily Mills at emills@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter @EmilyMills818.

Featured Weekly Ad