Emilia Sykes

Emilia Sykes once imagined becoming principal dancer at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.¹ She grew up dancing and competing in gymnastics, reaching the AAU Junior Olympics and excelling at vault.¹ In a 2024 interview, she said she kept a ballerina figure in her office to remember that earlier ambition.¹

Instead, the Akron native followed her parents into public service, eventually representing the Ohio House seat both had held.¹ She earned a psychology degree at Kent State and both a law degree and a master's in public health at the University of Florida.² Her Ohio legislative career included serving as House minority leader before she entered Congress in 2023.³

Sykes describes herself as an introvert who often prefers working behind the scenes in smaller groups.¹ She is now vice ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and serves on the Science, Space and Technology Committee.⁴

Her stated priorities include expanding child and earned income tax credits, encouraging housing construction and addressing real estate practices that reduce opportunities to buy a home.² She also supports police deescalation training and federal investment in Akron's redevelopment and polymer industry.² She faces Republican Carey Coleman and nonparty candidate Sandeep Dixit in November.⁵