# Emilia Sykes

Emilia Strong Sykes (born January 4, 1986) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Ohio's 13th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she formerly represented the 34th district of the Ohio House of Representatives, which consists of portions of the Akron area. From 2019 until 2021, she also served as minority leader of that chamber.

## Early life and education

Sykes was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. She is the daughter of state senator Vernon Sykes and former state representative Barbara Sykes, who successively held the same seat from 1982 to 2014. Between Vernon, Barbara, and Emilia, the Sykes family held the seat for 40 years. Emilia grew up dancing and competing in gymnastics and made it to the AAU Junior Olympics, where she focused on the vault. She graduated from Firestone High School.
Sykes initially attended Tuskegee University, where she was the runner up Miss Tuskegee University. She then transferred to Kent State University in Ohio, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. She received a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and a Master of Public Health from the College of Public Health and Health Professions.
Sykes worked as a law clerk for the chief judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Georgia. Afterwards, she served as an administrative adviser in the Summit County fiscal office.

## Ohio House of Representatives

In 2013, she ran for the Ohio House of Representatives to succeed her father, Vernon, who was term-limited. She won the Democratic nomination by defeating Summit County councilman Frank Communale. She later defeated Republican nominee Cynthia Blake in the general election by 72%–28% of the vote.
In 2015, Sykes and fellow Democratic lawmaker Greta Johnson introduced legislation to remove the sales tax on feminine hygiene products.
In 2019, Sykes was elected as the leader of the Democratic caucus, becoming the minority leader of the Ohio House. During her first year being leader of the Democratic caucus, the number of bipartisan bills passed in the Ohio House was double the combined total of the previous four years.
During the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Sykes endorsed Joe Biden. That same year, she won the EMILY's List 2020 Gabby Giffords Rising Star Award.

## U.S. House of Representatives
### Elections
#### 2022

In January 2022, Sykes announced her candidacy for Ohio's 13th congressional district. In November 2022, she won the general election, defeating Republican nominee Madison Gesiotto Gilbert in an upset.

#### 2024

Sykes won reelection in 2024 against former Republican state representative Kevin Coughlin in a close election.

### Tenure

Sykes cast her first vote on January 3, 2023 for Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries to serve as Speaker of the House. She was sworn into the United States House of Representative with the 118th Congress on January 7, 2023.

### Committee assignments

* Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
** Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee (vice ranking member)
** Highways and Transit Subcommittee
* Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
** Research and Technology Subcommittee

### Caucus memberships

Partial list of caucus memberships:
* Congressional Black Caucus
* Bipartisan Women's Caucus, vice-chair
* New Democrat Coalition, vice-chair of the Affordable Housing Taskforce
* Problem Solvers Caucus, Working Group on Pharmaceutical Affordability and Access

## Political positions

Sykes is considered a moderate Democrat.

### Immigration

In 2025, Sykes was one of 46 House Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.

### Infrastructure

In 2023, Sykes and Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) cosponsored the bipartisan RAIL Act, which aims to improve railroad safety.
In 2024, Sykes announced $169 million in federal funding secured for Ohio's drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure.

### Healthcare

Sykes voted against the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act in January 2023, a bill which would remove COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers. In February, she voted against a resolution to end COVID-19 national emergency three months earlier than the president's declared date.
Sykes co-introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act in 2023, a legislative package designed to address racial disparities in maternal mortality. The act includes 13 bills focused on reducing pregnancy-related deaths through measures like nutrition programs, maternal vaccination promotion, and mental health support for mothers.

### Law enforcement

Sykes co-introduced the bipartisan Enhancing COPS Hiring Program Grants for Local Law Enforcement Act in 2023, alongside Reps. Greg Landsman, Mike Carey, and Max Miller. The bill proposes allowing law enforcement agencies to use federal grants for recruitment and retention bonuses.

### Manufacturing

In 2024, Sykes helped secure Akron's designation as one of seven regional tech hubs in the country, focused on sustainable plastics and rubbers. The tech hub is projected to create 6,351 jobs and generate $1.8 billion in direct private investment over the next 10 years.
Sykes and Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) cosponsored the bipartisan Retreaded Truck Tire Jobs, Supply Chain Security and Sustainability Act in 2024, which provides a 30% tax credit for purchasing retreaded tires, promoting American-made products, and supporting jobs in retreading facilities. Sykes said that the initiative, aligned with her district’s identity as the "Rubber Capital of the World".

### Syria

In 2023, Sykes voted against House Resolution 21 which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

## Personal life

Emilia Sykes is married to politician Kevin Boyce. She is a Baptist.

## Electoral history

Ohio House 34th District :
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct |
| 2014 | Emilia Sykes | 17,299 | 71.9% | Cynthia Blake | 6,082 | 28.1% |
| 2016 | Emilia Sykes | 35,154 | 77.1% | Gene Littlefield | 10,420 | 22.9% |
| 2018 | Emilia Sykes | 30,164 | 78.4% | Josh Sines | 8,329 | 21.6% |
| 2020 | Emilia Sykes | 36,251 | 76.8% | Henry Todd | 10,926 | 23.2% |
US House Ohio 13th District :
| Year | | Votes | Pct | | Votes | Pct |
| 2022 | Emilia Sykes | 149,816 | 52.7% | Madison Gesiotto Gilbert | 134,593 | 47.3% |
| 2024 | Emilia Sykes | 197,461 | 51.1% | Kevin Coughlin | 188,996 | 48.9% |