Emilia Strong Sykes (born January 4, 1986) is an American politician who is the
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
Ohio's 13th congressional district
The 13th congressional district of Ohio is represented by Representative Tim Ryan. Due to reapportionment following the 2010 United States Census, Ohio lost its 17th and 18th congressional districts, necessitating redrawing of district lines. ...
. She formerly represented the 34th district of the
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate.
The House of Representatives first met in Ch ...
, which consists of portions of the
Akron area. From 2019 until 2021, she also served as
minority leader of that chamber.
Biography
Sykes grew up in the Akron area and is the daughter of former state representatives
Vernon Sykes
Vernon Sykes (born October 2, 1951) is an American politician serving as the state Senator for the 28th district of the Ohio Senate. The district included Akron, Barberton, Green, Portage Lakes, Sawyerwood, Lakemore and portions of Cuyahoga Fa ...
(now an
Ohio state senator) and
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.
Sykes holds a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
in psychology from
Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in ...
. She received a
JD from the
University of Florida Levin College of Law and a Master of Public Health from the
College of Public Health and Health Professions.
She previously attended
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature.
The campus was de ...
, where she filed a lawsuit against the university after it mistakenly honored her as the winner of the Miss Tuskegee University beauty pageant in 2006 and revoked her title after correcting it.
Sykes has served as an administrative adviser in the
Summit County fiscal office. In 2013, she ran for the
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate.
The House of Representatives first met in Ch ...
to succeed her father, Vernon, who was term-limited. She defeated Summit County Councilman Frank Communale to secure the Democratic nomination, and Republican nominee Cynthia Blake 72%-28% in the general election.
In 2015, Sykes and fellow Democratic lawmaker
Greta Johnson introduced a bill that sought to exempt feminine hygiene products from sales tax.
In 2019, Sykes was elected the leader of the Democrats in the Ohio House, becoming minority leader.
During the
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, Sykes supported
Joe Biden.
Sykes won the
EMILY's List
EMILY's List is an American political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect Democratic female candidates in favor of abortion rights to office. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985. The group's name is an acronym for "Early Money ...
2020
Gabby Giffords
Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an American retired politician and gun control advocate who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing from January 2007 until January 2012, when she resigned ...
Rising Star Award.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2022
In January 2022, Sykes announced her candidacy for
Ohio's 13th congressional district
The 13th congressional district of Ohio is represented by Representative Tim Ryan. Due to reapportionment following the 2010 United States Census, Ohio lost its 17th and 18th congressional districts, necessitating redrawing of district lines. ...
.
In
November 2022, she won the general election, defeating Republican nominee
Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, a former
Miss Ohio USA
The Miss Ohio USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Ohio in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by that winner. It has previously been known as Miss Ohio Universe. It is produced by Proc ...
.
Tenure
COVID-19 policy
On January 31, 2023, Sykes voted against H.R.497:Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, a bill which would lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers.
On February 1, 2023, Sykes voted against a resolution to end COVID-19 national emergency.
Voting rights
On February 9, 2023, Sykes voted against H.J.Res. 24: Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 which condemns the District of Columbia’s plan that would allow noncitizens to vote in local elections.
Caucus memberships
*
Congressional Equality Caucus
*
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of most African-American members of the United States Congress. Representative Karen Bass from California chaired the caucus from 2019 to 2021; she was succeeded by Representative Joyce B ...
*
New Democrat Coalition
The New Democrat Coalition is a caucus in the House of Representatives of the United States Congress made up of Democrats, primarily centrists, who take a pro-business stance and a moderate-to-conservative approach to fiscal matters.
As of ...
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.
History
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was formerly known as the Committee on Public Works a ...
**
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment (vice ranking member)
Electoral history
References
External links
Congresswoman Emilia Sykesofficial U.S. House website
Emilia Sykes for Congresscampaign website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sykes, Emilia
1986 births
20th-century African-American people
20th-century African-American women
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American politicians
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
African-American state legislators in Ohio
African-American women in politics
Female members of the United States House of Representatives
Fredric G. Levin College of Law alumni
Kent State University alumni
Left-wing populism in the United States
Living people
Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio
Politicians from Akron, Ohio
Women state legislators in Ohio