AKRON, Ohio — On Tuesday, Shammas Malik won the Democratic mayoral primary in the city of Akron. The 32-year-old is on the doorstep of becoming the youngest mayor to ever serve the Rubber City. No Republicans were declared eligible for the primary, meaning the only way Malik will face opposition in November's general election is if a candidate launches a write-in bid.
One day after his victory over six other Democratic candidates, Malik sat down for a one-on-one interview with 3News' Lydia Esparra.
"I think it's going to take time for it to set in," Malik said when asked how he feels after winning the primary. "The city has 1,800 employees. The city has 190,000 people living in it. We have monumental issues. I think the weight of that is a reality."
This is Akron's reality: a divided community after a grand jury decided not to charge eight police officers who shot and killed Jayland Walker. Businesses in the city continue to be boarded up.
Even though the protestors are gone, Akron is a city apart.
"Look, you didn't just elect me to sit back and watch me fix it. We are doing this together," Malik said.
Malik was born and raised in Akron. He went to Firestone High School, then attended Ohio State University, before getting his law degree at Harvard.
After law school, Malik decided to return to home to Akron. He worked first as an assistant director of law for the city, before being elected to represent Ward 8 on Akron City Council.
Malik has one brother. His mother died ten years ago, and he rarely talks about his father, who is in prison.
"I was (in) the last day of my junior year in high school when I found out my father had been arrested. I really haven't had a relationship with him since then," Malik explained. "Because of all the stuff that came to light because of the second and double life he had been leading, those are difficult experiences."
But when Malik speaks of his mother, it's of nothing but joy and love. He specifically mentioned her in his acceptance speech on Tuesday.
"Her life was about finding something you love doing and using it to give back to people," he said of his mother.
Malik also credits his mother for personal growth.
"I've got flaws, I've got challenges just like anyone else," he added. "I go and check in with a mental health professional every month to make sure I'm doing okay. I want to cut through that stigma, too."
And the stigma that a young man like him can't run a city like Akron? He shuts that down, too. Akron, he says, deserves all the best and that's what he plans to do.
"Being able to step into this leadership possibility, it's really humbling. I still a haven't fully processed it, but I want to do the best job I can," Malik stated.
You can watch the full interview with Lydia Esparra and Shammas Malik below: