Rep. Emilia Sykes was first elected in 2022 and won reelection in this Republican-leaning district that includes Akron and Canton in 2024. That year, spending on this race totaled $28 million and Rep. Sykes outperformed Kamala Harris with 51% of the vote in this narrowly divided part of Ohio.
Rep. Sykes’ district was targeted by Republicans in Ohio’s redistricting process ahead of the 2026 election and remains one of the most competitive districts in the country. In her first term, Rep. Sykes had a perfect voting record on Council issues. She opposed wasteful nuclear weapons programs, like the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, and supported strict congressional oversight of the Pentagon budget. Rep. Sykes serves as the Vice Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is the Vice Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the Space, Science and Technology Committee.
Before she was elected to Congress, Rep. Sykes served as the State Representative for Ohio House District 34 for eight years. During that time, she spent four years in Democratic leadership, including three years as the House Minority Leader.
