Emilia Sykes

Emilia Sykes was born in Akron, Ohio, and has a background in psychology and law. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Kent State University and both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Public Health from the University of Florida. Before her congressional service, she held roles as a law clerk for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and an administrative advisor in the Summit County Fiscal Office. Sykes first entered elected office in 2014, serving in the Ohio House of Representatives for the 34th district from 2015 to 2022. During her time in the state legislature, she rose to become the House Minority Leader, a position she held from 2019 to 2022, where she was known for her focus on health equity and domestic violence prevention. A member of the Democratic Party, Sykes was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022 to represent Ohio's 13th Congressional District and was sworn into office in January 2023. In Congress, she serves on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Her work has focused on securing federal funding for local infrastructure, improving maternal health outcomes, and advocating for economic development in Northeast Ohio. She has sponsored and supported bipartisan legislation aimed at lowering taxes for working families and improving mental health services.

Sykes supports expanding access to affordable healthcare, protecting reproductive rights, and reducing maternal mortality through initiatives like the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act. Her economic platform focuses on creating high-paying jobs, supporting organized labor, and providing tax relief to the middle class while investing in infrastructure and manufacturing. She advocates for environmental protections and a transition to clean energy. In terms of public safety, she supports gun safety measures such as universal background checks and red flag laws, as well as funding for community-based violence prevention programs.