The leader of Akron’s largest family-owned grocery chain plans to stock local elections with Republicans who can win in a city and county dominated by Democrats.
It’s a tall order. But Acme Fresh Markets Chairman Steve Albrecht is fed up with county Republicans sending local donations to Columbus instead of keeping the money close to support candidates running in Akron and Summit County. Albrecht is pushing donors to give to his newly formed SummitPAC, a conservative-leaning nonprofit that will channel the giving to local, not out-of-the county, races.
Albrecht, 67, hopes that fiscally sound and experienced conservatives can break the hold Democrats have held over local politics.
For decades, the Summit County GOP has sent local donors’ money to state and national races.
“The Summit GOP can do what it wants,” Albrecht said. “I no longer care about that organization. If you want your contributions to go to Columbus, write your check to the Summit GOP. If you want them to stay here and help build a better Akron, a better Summit County, [give to SummitPAC] because it’s my opinion that as Akron goes so goes the county.”
Up and running
A political action committee, or PAC, raises money to influence elections or legislation, with the ability to support candidates.
SummitPAC is led by Albrecht, whose commitments to Acme are winding down, and John Ballard, a 61-year-old business developer who 40 years ago founded a nonprofit to help people with disabilities and autism. Ballard also is the son of a former Republican Akron mayor, something the city hasn’t seen since 1983.
The PAC cancelled what Albrecht said was an unauthorized fundraiser this week for a candidate for state senate.
He said the objective, at this point, isn’t to support candidates in November, but to raise money and awareness to make 2017 and beyond more competitive for Republicans seeking local office.
Albrecht said he conceptualized SummitPAC after an “eye-opening” experience managing the mayoral campaign to elect Akron attorney Eddie Sipplen in 2014. With Democrats playing musical chairs that year to fill the void left after longtime mayor Don Plusquellic suddenly resigned, Albrecht saw an opportunity for Republicans to pounce.
Bryan Williams, executive chair of the Summit County GOP, introduced Sipplen to Albrecht, who had become increasingly interested in politics. But Albrecht said the polling and campaign expertise the local party promised never came, leading him he believe that Williams never intended for Sipplen to win.
“They don’t want [candidates like Sipplen] to be successful,” Albrecht said. “That means they would have to spend more on local candidates, and that’s not what they want.”
“The city is entirely uncompetitive,” Williams said of directing resources elsewhere that year.
He called Albrecht’s assertion that the county party doesn’t fully support local conservatives “ludicrous. It’s a statement of ignorance,” he said.
Alex Arshinkoff, a co-chair in the Summit County Republican Party, said $25 million might not have bought Sipplen victory in such a Democratic city.
Local giver
Since 2013, Albrecht’s political giving has totaled $7,828.49, according to state campaign finance reports.
Most, $3,650, went to Republican Sen. Frank LaRose. Another $3,000 went to the Ohio Food PAC/Ohio Grocers Association, which advocates for his business interests.
Albrecht’s motivations, though, aren’t entirely partisan or tied to his grocery stores. In 2014, he gave more to Democrat Frank Comunale, a county councilman who once ran against LaRose, than he did to Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Senate President Keith Faber, the two top Republicans in the state.
The Summit County Republican Party, however, notes Albrecht’s reluctance to fund Sipplen’s campaign or his wife’s when she ran for a judgeship a quarter century ago.
“Steve Albrecht didn’t even give to his wife’s campaign when she ran for judge,” Arshinkoff said. “If he didn’t help his wife, how can we expect him to help anyone else?”
Buying time
Instead of Sipplen’s campaign, donations collected by Arshinkoff and the party last year went to more prominent candidates seeking bigger offices in Columbus.
Attorney General Mike Dewine received $424,000. Kasich and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, got $135,000, former Speaker of the House William Batchelder received $12,000 and Jon Husted got $10,000.
Directing local donations to Dewine, Taylor and Husted, each likely to run for governor after Kasich is term-limited in 2018, follows the Summit County GOP playbook: use political giving to buy political influence through big races Republicans can win; don’t blow it on local ones Democrats sweep.
Albrecht, however, said sending money to Columbus benefits Arshinkoff’s and Williams’ personal lobbying activity.
Williams advocates for lawmakers on behalf of private construction firms. Arshinkoff has been paid $10,000 a month to lobby Kasich on behalf of the University of Akron.
Williams and Arshinkoff said spending on gubernatorial instead of mayoral races is in the party’s best interest, not theirs.
After Arshinkoff helped George Voinovich become governor in the 1990, Republicans dominated the redistricting process, placing voters within boundaries that optimized Republican domination of state politics for the next three decades. Without controlling the line-drawing, Arshinkoff said, LaRose and state Rep. Anthony Devitis would not have won their races this decade.
Having a Republican governor also helps when the local party asks the governor to appoint judges.
Doug Livingston can be reached at 330-996-3792 or dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @ABJDoug.