Akron voters delivered a decisive victory for Democratic candidates in the 2026 election, with Governor‑elect Amy Acton and Senator‑elect Sherrod Brown winning every one of the city’s 120 precincts. The results underscore a continued preference for the party’s platform in a city that leans heavily Democratic.
Precinct‑by‑precinct breakdown
Acton captured 74.7% of the citywide vote for governor, while Brown secured 72.1% in the Senate race. Even the precinct that gave former President Donald Trump his highest support in 2024 – a cluster of 12 precincts that combined for 52.5% Trump support – swung heavily toward Acton, delivering her 57.1% of the vote there.
The most competitive precinct for the Republican ticket was 6‑A in Ward 6, located east of Goodyear Heights Metro Park. There, Vivek Ramaswamy earned 44.7% of the vote – the only Akron precinct where he outperformed his statewide 44.4% – and Jon Husted received 44.1%, just under his 45.2% statewide showing.
Charter amendments defeated
Voters also weighed three charter amendments backed by the Freedom BLOC. Issue 11 would have eliminated application fees for renters and allowed security deposits to be paid in installments. Issue 12 sought to treat criminal history as a protected class in housing decisions. Issue 13 would have expanded the city police oversight board’s subpoena power and required city officials to respond to internal audits.
All three measures were rejected by Akron voters. The 12 precincts that had supported Trump in 2024 voted against Issue 12, and four of those precincts also rejected Issue 11. The opposition to expanding police oversight reflects a community concern for maintaining effective law‑enforcement operations.
Voter registration trends
Summit County data shows that 104 of Akron’s 120 precincts lost registered voters between 2024 and 2026, a net loss of 3,065 residents. The precinct with the steepest decline was in Ward 2 near the former Chapel Hill Mall, shedding 121 voters – a 12.1% drop. Conversely, Ward 3, just south of the University of Akron campus, added 123 new registrants, a 9.8% increase, while Ward 8 near the Akron Peninsula saw a 5.2% rise.
Implications for the community
The clean sweep by Acton and Brown signals strong local endorsement of their policy agendas, which include economic development, education, and public safety initiatives. The defeat of the renter‑fee and police‑oversight amendments suggests that Akron residents favor maintaining current structures rather than adopting the Freedom BLOC’s proposed changes.
Local leaders and community groups are encouraged to use these results as a roadmap for addressing the concerns that resonated with voters, particularly around housing affordability and effective policing, while continuing to support the broader Democratic agenda that appears to align with the city’s values.
Original reporting: Signal Akron — read the source article.
