Thomas Sawyer, an American politician who served Akron, Ohio, on all levels of government for close to fifty years, was born on August 15, 1945, and died on or around May 23, 2023. He formerly held positions as the Mayor of Akron, the Ohio Senate, the Ohio House of Representatives, and the United States Congress.
In a closely contested race in November 1983, Tom Sawyer upset Akron’s Republican incumbent mayor, Roy Ray. After more than 18 years, Sawyer became Akron’s first democratic mayor. Since Sawyer defeated Ray for mayor in 1983, no Republican has held that position in Akron. Sawyer defeated Republican Robert Roush in the 2012 election for a second full term, 71.5% to 28.5 %.
Tom Sawyer: Former Akron Mayor dies at 77
The Akron Beacon Journal reports that longtime Akron politician Tom Sawyer passed away at the age of 77 following a protracted illness. In his 40-year political career, the well-known Democrat held positions at the local, state, and federal levels, most notably that of mayor of Akron and U.S. Representative.