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Plusquellic wins 53 percent of vote to claim sixth term. Rival Finley not conceding
By John Higgins
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic claimed victory Tuesday night with 53 percent of the vote, acknowledging that the election was closer than many expected.
But retired school teacher and former Ward 2 Councilman Joe Finley, who took 47 percent, isn't giving up yet.
''We thought we were going to win, in fact, that's why I'm not conceding,'' Finley said.
He said some Republicans who tried to switch to the Democratic Partywere told by poll workers that they would have to wait a full year to switch back and some walked out without voting. They actually would have had to wait just until the next primary election to switch and would have received a full ballot in November.
''We're going to make sure we document all the incidents,'' Finley said. ''We'll be on the case tomorrow.''
Republicans did not field a candidate for the November election, which means the primary winner will be the mayor.
Plusquellic told supporters at Gus' Chalet restaurant that a narrow win was still a win and suggested that his support for an income tax rate increase during an election year Issue 17 on the May ballot cost him votes.
The increase would have raised $18 million a year for economic development, additional law en forcement and other services.
Voters trounced Issue 17 by a ratio of 2-to-1, despite Plusquellic's passionate and personal campaigning at ward meetings throughout the city.
''I'm not ever going to apologize for it because it was the right choice to put before the voters for Akron, to give them the choice on what the future of this city was going to be,'' Plusquellic said. ''They turned it down and I paid a hell of a price today. But I will say to them for the rest of my life, I gave them a choice and it was honest before the election, not afterward sneaking something through afterward and if they don't appreciate that, you know what? Shame on them.''
Finley's campaign had hoped to make the primary election a referendum on Plusquellic, believing the voters' rejection of Issue 17 was a rejection of the mayor's economic development policies.
Finley argued that the city has dug itself too far into debt and favors the mayor's friends with economic development projects.
Plusquellic said throughout the campaign and at their only debate that Finley has no accomplishments to show for his four years as the Ward 2 councilman. He said voters would catch on that Finley was all talk and no action.
Finley said that he served his ward so well that in the 2003 primary, he won 83 percent of the vote. In 2005, he gave up the seat to run for a citywide council position which he also hoped would be a referendum on the mayor and hasn't won an election since.
Just as Plusquellic began his victory speech, he had to take a congratulatory phone call from Japan.
It was Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, who is leading a delegation of nearly 50 business and economic development leaders including Akron Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert Bowman.
The delegation is in Japan hoping to nurture relationships that will lead to new jobs and investments in Ohio.
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792, 800-777-7232 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic claimed victory Tuesday night with 53 percent of the vote, acknowledging that the election was closer than many expected.
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