Ohio could help determine which party controls the House of Representatives following the 2026 midterms. Two Democrats, Reps. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio’s 9th Congressional District and Emilia Sykes of Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, are on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s frontline members list and are also being targeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Last November, Sykes won reelection by 2.2 percentage points against Republican Kevin Coughlin. President Donald Trump won Ohio in 2016, 2020, and 2024 and the race for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District was particularly close at the presidential level, with former Vice President Kamala Harris very narrowly winning the district.
Sykes has been running to the left, which includes teaming with Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. According to the Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index, Crockett’s district, Texas 30, has a D+25 advantage. Ohio 13 is even.
In April, Sykes and Crockett made headlines for their joint fundraising committee. According to the Washington Free Beacon, that “arrangement will allow Democrats to piggyback off each other’s shared fundraising efforts, potentially collecting larger checks as a result.”
Sykes also attended the 65th anniversary celebration of the Akron Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta alongside Crockett and Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, as Signal Akron covered in May.
Crockett has made headlines as a more liberal and outspoken House member, and for the Federal Election Commission opening an investigation in April into donations made to her 2024 campaign through ActBlue. Crockett’s campaign and office did not respond to The Daily Signal at the time, and her office did not respond to request for comment about her association with Sykes.
While many vulnerable House Democrats have voted with Republicans, the same cannot be said for Sykes, who has voted with more liberal members on key bills.
Although Sykes was one of 48 Democrats to vote in favor of the Laken Riley Act in January, she has voted for allowing illegal immigrants to vote in U.S. elections. She also voted for upholding an electric vehicle mandate from the Biden administration and against restricting funds for educational institutions aligned with the Chinese Communist Party.
Sykes’ hobnobbing with Crockett is not the only time she’s been relying on those from outside of Ohio. FEC data for this year as of June 30 shows contributions coming from other states, including blue California, New York, and Maryland.
Ohio Republicans, including a Super PAC in support of gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, as well as the Ohio GOP, have found an opportunity to use New York City’s upcoming mayoral election to their advantage. In expressing concerns about Democrat Zohran Mamdani, the pro-Ramaswamy Super PAC has urged New York City voters to move to the Buckeye State
Sykes, however, has come under fire from the National Republican Congressional Committee for ignoring a request for comment when asked about Mamdani’s concerning views. The Republicans further connected her to Crockett by referencing the Crockett’s support for Mamdani.
The National Republican Congressional Committee spoke out against Sykes and her connections in a statement for The Daily Signal. “Radical Emilia Sykes continues to push a far-left agenda as she is more focused on joining the socialist squad with Jasmine Crockett than delivering results for Ohioans. While Sykes’ extreme positions may have earned her a spot on the Squad, they’ll also cost her seat next year,” said spokesman Zach Bannon.
Neither the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee nor Sykes’ office responded to requests for comment.
Coughlin is looking to challenge Sykes again for a rematch. In a statement for The Daily Signal, Coughlin pointed to the congresswoman’s liberal record. “If Emilia Sykes is what Democrats are calling a moderate these days, then I’d hate to see who they’re calling extreme,” he said. “She’s been all-in on the far-left’s agenda from day one, voting to raise taxes, give handouts to illegal immigrants, and siding with criminals over the police who keep us safe. She’s not fooling anyone here in Ohio.”
According to Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the race is currently considered to be a “toss-up.” Beyond Kaptur and Sykes’ reelection battles, Ohio also remains nationally relevant when it comes to redistricting efforts for the 2026 midterm elections.