COLUMBUS, Ohio — U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes has secured reelection for a second term in a northeastern Ohio district that faced significant Republican attention. However, the race for fellow Democrat Marcy Kaptur remains too close to call as of Wednesday morning.
Sykes, age 38, outperformed Republican challenger Kevin Coughlin in a district that is largely based in her hometown of Akron, a city with a strong political legacy in her family. Her father, Vern, currently serves as a state senator, while her mother, Barbara, is a former state lawmaker who has contested statewide elections.
Following the election results, Coughlin took to social media to acknowledge Sykes’ victory, stating, “I want to congratulate Congresswoman Sykes on her re-election. While the result is not what we had hoped for, the values that drove this campaign — safety, security, and affordability — will still motivate us to create change.”
Currently, Sykes is awaiting a decision regarding a last-minute challenge to her residency. A political activist raised concerns just prior to the election, claiming that her husband, Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce, had listed her as part of his household in Columbus. Sykes vehemently rejected the allegation, describing it as “a deeply offensive lie.”
On October 24, the Summit County Board of Elections was deadlocked at 2-2 along party lines regarding the challenge. The board has two weeks to communicate its indecision to Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who is required by law to make a final determination.
Meanwhile, Kaptur, who is 78 years old, held a narrow lead over Ohio state Representative Derek Merrin, initially declaring victory based on early vote counts. However, this race has yet to be officially called. Kaptur entered this election cycle as one of the most at-risk incumbents in Congress, with the contest for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District drawing approximately $23 million in campaign expenditures. Merrin, a fourth-term state representative, was endorsed by high-profile figures such as House Speaker Mike Johnson and Donald Trump.
Kaptur’s campaign portrayed her as overcoming substantial “millions in outside spending from dark-money super PACs,” with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee praising her as “a proven champion for the Midwest.” Chair Suzan DelBene remarked, “As the longest serving woman in Congress, Marcy has never forgotten where she came from and never stopped fighting for Northwest Ohio. She is a one-of-a-kind legislator, and leaders like her are few and far between. We are all better off with her in office.”
In total, the two political parties invested over $23 million in advertising for the contest from the March 19 primary through Election Day, according to AdImpact, which monitors campaign finances. Democrats slightly outspent Republicans, with over $12 million invested compared to $11 million. Merrin enjoyed more significant backing from outside Republican groups than Kaptur. Kaptur also invested about $3.7 million of her own funds into her campaign following the primary.
A defeat for Merrin would signify a rare instance where Trump’s endorsement did not elevate a candidate favored for victory in Ohio, a state that he has consistently won three times. This election was also pivotal for both U.S. Senate candidates, with JD Vance now serving as the vice president-elect and Republican candidate Bernie Moreno succeeding in unseating incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown on Tuesday.