Emilia Sykes

Emilia Sykes

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House Ohio District 13

U.S. House Ohio District 13

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Tim Ryan

Prior offices

Ohio House of Representatives District 34

Successor: Casey Weinstein

---

Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Kent State University

Graduate

University of Florida

Law

University of Florida

Personal

Birthplace

Akron, Ohio

Profession

Law clerk

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Personal Facebook

Emilia Sykes (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Ohio's 13th Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2023. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Sykes (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 13th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Biography

Emilia Sykes was born in Akron, Ohio. Sykes earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Kent State University and a juris doctor and master's degree in public health from the University of Florida. Her career experience includes working as an administrative staff advisor with the Summit County Fiscal Office and a law clerk to the chief justice of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Committee assignments

2023-2024

Sykes was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
• Research and Technology

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, and ended on January 3, 2025. At the start of the session, Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023-2025
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Yea	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (310-118)
Nay	To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.   H.R. 185 (To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to nullify a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order restricting the entry of foreign citizens to the United States unless the individual was vaccinated against the coronavirus or attested they would take public health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (227-201)
Nay	Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023   The Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to raise the federal debt limit before a June 5, 2023, deadline. The bill also sought to repeal certain green energy tax credits, increase domestic natural gas and oil production, expand work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, and nullify President Joe Biden's (D) proposed student loan debt cancellation program. This bill was not taken up in the Senate, and the debt limit was instead raised through the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (217-215)
Yea	Denouncing the horrors of socialism.   H.Con.Res. 9 (Denouncing the horrors of socialism.) was a resolution approved by the House of Representatives denouncing socialism and opposing the implementation of socialist policies in the United States. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (328-86)
Nay	Lower Energy Costs Act   The Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to increase domestic energy production and exports by increasing the production of oil, natural gas, and coal, reducing permitting restrictions for pipelines, refineries, and other energy projects, and increase the production of minerals used in electronics, among other energy production-related policies. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (225-204)
Nay	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".   H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (219-200)
Nay	Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.   H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (229-197)
Yea	Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023   The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (314-117)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)	Speaker of the House election (January 2023) - 15th vote   In January 2023, the House of Representatives held its regular election for Speaker of the House at the start of the 118th Congress. Voting began on January 3, and ended on January 7. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was elected speaker of the House in a 216-212 vote during the 15th round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required. Click here to read more.	Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) (216-212)
Not Voting	Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.   H.Res. 757 (Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his position as Speaker of the House. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (216-210)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)	Speaker of the House election (October 2023) - 4th vote   In October 2023, following Rep. Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) removal as Speaker of the House, the House of Representatives held another election for the position. Voting began on October 17 and ended on October 25. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected Speaker of the House in a 220-209 vote in the fourth round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required. Click here to read more.	Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) (220-209)
Nay	Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.   H.Res. 918 (Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that formally authorized an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden (D). The inquiry focused on allegations that Biden used his influence as vice president from 2009 to 2017 to improperly profit from his son Hunter Biden's business dealings. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (221-212)
Yea	Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.   H.Res. 878 (Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from office following a House Ethics Committee investigation that determined there was substantial evidence that Santos violated the law during his 2020 and 2022 campaigns. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (311-114)
Yea	The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023   The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (H.R. 82) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on January 5, 2025, that reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who received other pensions from state or local governments. It also eliminated an offset that would reduce benefits for spouses and widows of individuals with government pensions. It also eliminated a provision that reduced benefits for an individual who received a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. This bill required a 2/3rds majority vote to pass.	Passed (327-75)
Nay	Secure the Border Act of 2023   The Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2) was passed by the U.S. House on May 11, 2024. This bill would have introduced limits to asylum eligibility and required employers to use electronic verification of employee's legal eligibility to work. This bill required a simple majority vote.	Passed (219-213)
Nay	Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024   The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 (H.R. 4366) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on March 9, 2024, authorizing appropriations for various government departments for the fiscal year 2024. The bill required a majority vote to pass.	Passed (219-211)
Yea	Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024   The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (H.R. 7024) was a bill passed by the U.S. House on January 31, 2024, that would have modified the U.S. tax code, increasing how much money can be given back in credits and what is exempt. This bill required a 2/3rds majority vote to pass.	Passed (357-70)
Nay	Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025   The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (H.R. 8070) was passed by the U.S. House on June 14, 2024. The bill would have modified defense spending in the fiscal year 2025. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (217-199)
Not Voting	Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023   The Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 (H.R. 6090) was passed by the U.S. House on May 1, 2024. This bill made it so the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights could have the authority to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism when investigating cases of discrimination. This bill required a simple majority vote to pass.	Passed (320-91)
Yea	FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024   The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R.3935) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on May 16, 2024, that reauthorized Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding until fiscal year 2028. The bill also made other modifications to address various department-related issues. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (387-26)
Nay	Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act   The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act (H.R. 9495) was passed by the U.S. House on November 21, 2024. The bill would have postponed U.S. tax deadlines for citizens who were wrongfully detained abroad. This bill required a simple majority to pass.	Passed (219-214)
Nay	Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   H.Res.863, Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors, passed the U.S. House on February 13, 2024. The resolution impeached U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (D) for high crimes and misdemeanors. The motion to impeach required a majority in the House and a 2/3rds vote in the Senate.	Passed (214-213)
Yea	Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025   H.R.9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, was passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 26, 2024, providing funding to federal agencies, including the Secret Service, and federal programs for the 2025 fiscal year. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (341-82)

Elections

2026

See also: Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Incumbent Emilia Sykes is running in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Emilia Sykes (D)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2024

Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Republican primary)

Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Incumbent Emilia Sykes defeated Kevin Coughlin in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes (D)	51.1	197,466
		Kevin Coughlin (R)	48.9	188,924

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 386,390
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Liam Walker (George Wallace Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Incumbent Emilia Sykes advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes	100.0	41,257

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 41,257
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Kevin Coughlin defeated Chris Banweg and Richard Morckel in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kevin Coughlin	65.0	39,378
		Chris Banweg	27.6	16,703
		Richard Morckel	7.4	4,496

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 60,577
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Gregory Wheeler (R)
• Madison Gesiotto Gilbert (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sykes in this election.

2022

See also: Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Emilia Sykes defeated Madison Gesiotto Gilbert in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes (D)	52.7	149,816
		Madison Gesiotto Gilbert (R)	47.3	134,593

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 284,409
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Emilia Sykes advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes	100.0	36,251

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,251
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• John Impellizzeri (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Madison Gesiotto Gilbert	28.6	16,211
		Gregory Wheeler	23.4	13,284
		Janet Folger Porter	16.6	9,402
		Shay Hawkins	11.4	6,468
		Ryan Saylor	9.3	5,261
		Dante Sabatucci	8.4	4,740
		Santana F. King	2.4	1,338

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 56,704
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Emilia Sykes defeated Henry Todd in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 34 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes (D)	76.8	36,251
	Submit photo	Henry Todd (R)	23.2	10,926

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 47,177
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Emilia Sykes advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 34 on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes	100.0	10,789

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,789
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 34

Henry Todd advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 34 on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Henry Todd	100.0	1,584

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,584
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Emilia Sykes defeated Josh Sines in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 34 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes (D)	78.4	30,164
	Submit photo	Josh Sines (R)	21.6	8,329

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 38,493
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Emilia Sykes advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 34 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes	100.0	8,137

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 8,137
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 34

Josh Sines advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 34 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Josh Sines	100.0	1,932

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,932
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Ohio House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 16, 2015.

Incumbent Emilia Sykes defeated Gene Littlefield in the Ohio House of Representatives District 34 general election.

Ohio House of Representatives, District 34 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Emilia Sykes Incumbent	77.14%	35,154
	Republican	Gene Littlefield	22.86%	10,420
Total Votes				45,574
Source: Ohio Secretary of State

Incumbent Emilia Sykes ran unopposed in the Ohio House of Representatives District 34 Democratic primary.

Ohio House of Representatives District 34, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Emilia Sykes Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	14,684
Total Votes				14,684

Gene Littlefield ran unopposed in the Ohio House of Representatives District 34 Republican primary.

Ohio House of Representatives District 34, Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Gene Littlefield  (unopposed)	100.00%	4,170
Total Votes				4,170

2014

See also: Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Ohio House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 5, 2014. Emilia Sykes defeated Frank Comunale in the Democratic primary, while Cynthia Blake was unopposed in the Republican primary. Sykes defeated Blake in the general election.

Ohio House of Representatives, District 34 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Emilia Sykes	71.9%	17,299
	Republican	Cynthia Blake	28.1%	6,758
Total Votes				24,057

Ohio House of Representatives, District 34 Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Emilia Sykes	62.4%	4,641
Frank Comunale	37.6%	2,802
Total Votes		7,443

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Emilia Sykes has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Emilia Sykes, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 21,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

Help improve Ballotpedia - send us candidate contact info.

2024

Emilia Sykes did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Emilia Sykes did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Sykes' campaign website stated the following:

“	Jobs & Rising Costs Ohioans are working harder than ever and shouldn’t be struggling to pay for gas, groceries, housing, and other expenses because of rising costs. In order to lower costs and ensure we don’t have another supply chain crisis, Emilia supports a “Made in America” plan to bring manufacturing home to northeast Ohio so we aren’t dependent on foreign countries and create good-paying jobs for Ohio workers. Emilia will also fight to put more money in the pockets of Northeast Ohioans, just as she did in the legislature when she worked to increase Ohio’s Earned income tax credit from 10 to 30 percent of the federal credit. Healthcare Healthcare is far too expensive and all northeast Ohioans deserve access to quality, affordable healthcare and prescription drugs that won’t break the bank. In Congress, Emilia will push to cap the cost of life-saving medications such as insulin, make sure there are affordable long-term care options for Ohioans, and continue her work on eliminating systemic biases that lead to health inequities. Public Safety Everyone deserves to be safe, and feel safe in their communities. As a State Representative, Emilia led a bipartisan effort to ensure that survivors of domestic abuse could be protected and worked to make it a crime for people to track others without their consent. In Congress, Emilia will continue her fight to ensure law enforcement has the resources they need to protect and serve the communities where they work while ensuring there is accountability and trust within the community through meaningful criminal justice reform efforts. Protecting Women’s Right to Healthcare Women should always have the right to make decisions about their healthcare and reproductive freedom. Whether it’s abortion, birth control, or breast cancer screenings, the government has no place telling a woman what to do with her body. As a legislator, Emilia oversaw the passage of legislation eliminating the sales tax on feminine hygiene products, helped create the state’s Black Maternal Health Caucus to ensure healthier moms and babies, and fought to save infant lives through community grants and local interventions. In Congress, Emilia will fight against any attempts to criminalize abortion and contraception or punish women and will stand up for victims of rape, incest, and domestic abuse. Education Every child in Northeast Ohio deserves a high-quality education with good teachers and a safe, welcoming environment where they can learn, ask questions, and grow their skills. In Congress, Emilia will continue her fight for our kids' education, and work to ensure that those who wish to continue their education after high school have affordable options that don’t leave them drowning in student loan debt while they’re building a life here in Ohio. Climate Emilia knows that access to clean water, clean air, and a clean environment is a basic human right—but that we can fight for those rights while also creating good-paying jobs. In Congress, Emilia will support environmentally friendly policies that support our economy, allow our National parks to thrive, and support native wildlife. By protecting our environment we can maintain a place where our children and families can live a healthy life, enjoy our local natural resources and promote tourism. Democracy Every northeast Ohioan deserves to have their voices heard and votes counted. In Congress, Emilia will fight to make it easier for our citizens to vote by supporting H.R. 1 the For the People Act— and she will hold accountable anyone who attacks the right to a free and fair election, particularly those who advocate violently overthrowing the government, like the attack we saw on the Capitol on January 6th of last year. Fair Trade We must do everything we can to bring good-paying jobs to Northeast Ohio so folks can raise a family and build a life here. Bad trade deals have hurt our economy and our state and we need to invest in the future of our young people and our workers with increased job training and opportunities to grow. As a legislator, Emilia fought to keep local jobs for local workers and cosponsored the Consumer Protection Call Center Act to fight the offshoring of Ohio call center jobs. In Congress, Emilia will fight to keep jobs from going overseas and bring them back where they belong: Ohio. Immigration Our immigration system is broken and we need a bipartisan, comprehensive solution that stops ignoring the problem. In Congress Emilia will fight to ensure our borders are safe and secure, keeping out dangerous drugs and weapons, while also recognizing decency and humanity is required to those who seek the land of opportunity we call home. She’ll also be a champion for those who come here legally, pay taxes and play by the rules because they deserve the same rights and protections as everyone else. Seniors Too often our Seniors are ignored or taken advantage of and we need to allow them to age with dignity in their own homes on their own terms. As a legislator Emilia supported the successful bipartisan effort to grant nursing home residents the ability to authorize and install electronic monitoring devices in resident rooms to monitor the quality of care received, as well as the effort to provide tax credits for family caregivers and lower property taxes. In Congress, Emilia will fight to hold those who target Seniors for fraud schemes accountable, allow Medicare to negotiate to lower the cost of prescription drugs and use those savings to expand Medicare benefits to cover vision, hearing, and dental services for seniors.	”
—Sykes' campaign website (2022)

2020

Emilia Sykes did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2014

Sykes' website highlighted the following campaign themes:

Repurposing vacant and abandoned property

• Excerpt: "I will collaborate with other local leaders to find creative solutions for these spaces that will enhance our community."

Voting rights

• Excerpt: "I will be a tireless advocate for voting rights so that every Ohioan has equal access to the ballot."

Supporting local government

• Excerpt: "I will make sure that policies are in place and resources are available so that local governments can adequately serve the community."

Protecting Women’s Health

• Excerpt: "I will continue to support Planned Parenthood, and other organizations that support women and families, and work for policies that respect women’s autonomy and rights to comprehensive healthcare."

Implementing the Affordable Care Act – “Obamacare”

• Excerpt: "I support the ACA’s option to expand Medicaid, which will provide health coverage to the neediest Ohioans. Medicaid expansion is a win-win that will provide health insurance to the working families who need it most without increasing the cost to our state’s taxpayers."

Campaign finance summary

---

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

---

Emilia Sykes campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Ohio District 13	Candidacy Declared general	$0	N/A**
2024*	U.S. House Ohio District 13	Won general	$5,332,291	$5,260,290
2022	U.S. House Ohio District 13	Won general	$2,542,383	$2,491,706
2020	Ohio House of Representatives District 34	Won general	$704,870	N/A**
2018	Ohio House of Representatives District 34	Won general	$223,233	N/A**
2016	Ohio House of Representatives, District 34	Won	$109,650	N/A**
2014	Ohio State House, District 34	Won	$166,608	N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Emilia Sykes

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Kamala D. Harris  source  (D, Working Families Party)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	Lost General
Joe Biden  source  (D, Working Families Party)	President of the United States (2020)		Won General

Notable ballot measure endorsements by Emilia Sykes

Measure	Position	Outcome
Ohio Issue 1, 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure (2023)  source	Oppose	Defeated
Ohio Issue 1, Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative (2023)  source	Support	Approved

Endorsements

2014

In 2014, Sykes' endorsements included the following:

• Ohio Democratic Party
• Summit County Executive Russ Pry
• State Senator Tom Sawyer, D-Akron
• Ohio House Minority Leader Tracy Maxwell Heard, D-Columbus
• Affiliated Construction Trades of Ohio (ACT Ohio)
• Akron Beacon Journal
• Ohio Federation of Teachers

Ballot measure activity

The following table details Sykes' ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for Emilia Sykes
Ballot measure	Year	Position	Status
Ohio Issue 1, Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative (2023)	2023	Supported	a Approved
Ohio Issue 1, 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure (2023)	2023	Opposed	d Defeated

State legislative tenure

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Ohio

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Ohio scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2022

In 2022, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 19 to December 15.

• Equality Ohio

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to LGBTQ, civil rights, and racial justice issues.

• Innovation Ohio

Representatives are scored on their votes on bills affecting working families.

• Ohio Chamber of Commerce

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community.

• National Federation of Independent Business

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

• The Institute for Legislative Analysis

Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].
In 2021, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 4 to December 31. Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. Ohio Environmental Council Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the Ohio State Legislature was in session from January 6 to December 31. Club for Growth Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Innovation Ohio Representatives are scored on their votes on bills affecting working families. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. Ohio Environmental Council Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental policy. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].
In 2019, the Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 7 through December 31. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].
In 2018, the 132nd Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 2 through December 31. Innovation Ohio Representatives are scored on their votes on bills affecting working families. Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].
In 2017, the 132nd Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 2 through December 31. Ohio Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].
In 2016, the 131st Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 5 through December 31. Ohio Chamber of Commerce: 2015-2016 scorecard Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].
In 2015, the 131st Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 5 through December 31. Ohio Chamber of Commerce: 2015-2016 scorecard Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills impacting Ohio's business community. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:[email protected].

2021-2022

Sykes was assigned to the following committees:

• Joint Legislative Ethics Committee
• Legislative Service Commission Committee
• Government Oversight Committee
• House Rules and Reference Committee, Ranking member

2019-2020

Sykes was assigned to the following committees:

• Joint Legislative Ethics Committee
• Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee, Ranking minority member
• Legislative Service Commission Committee
• House Rules and Reference Committee, Ranking minority member

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Sykes served on the following committees:

See also

2026 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Officeholder

U.S. House Ohio District 13

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

Personal

Facebook

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Tim Ryan (D)	U.S. House Ohio District 13 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Ohio House of Representatives District 34 2015-2022	Succeeded by Casey Weinstein (D)

[show]

Ohio's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jon Husted (R)

Bernie Moreno (R)

Representatives

District 1

Greg Landsman (D)

District 2

David Taylor (R)

District 3

Joyce Beatty (D)

District 4

Jim Jordan (R)

District 5

Bob Latta (R)

District 6

Michael Rulli (R)

District 7

Max Miller (R)

District 8

Warren Davidson (R)

District 9

Marcy Kaptur (D)

District 10

Michael Turner (R)

District 11

Shontel Brown (D)

District 12

Troy Balderson (R)

District 13

Emilia Sykes (D)

District 14

David Joyce (R)

District 15

Mike Carey (R)

Republican Party (12)

Democratic Party (5)