AKRON, Ohio — Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, once the top Democrat in the Ohio House of Representatives, is running for Congress. Sykes, who announced her candidacy Tuesday, is the latest to throw her hat in the ring for the 13th Congressional District.
It is a race for which former President Donald Trump has made an endorsement. Spectrum News 1 spoke with Sykes in her first television interview following her announcement.
Watch the full interview with Sykes below.
"My community deserves to have a representative who is a fighter," Sykes said on why she chose to run.
Sykes said she has been a fighter at the Ohio Statehouse and will continue to be one on Capitol Hill as a member of Congress.
"I know my community is looking for a representative who understands the need for quality, affordable health care, good education, jobs and I'm happy to bring that fight with me in that spirit with me to Washington," said Sykes.
Sykes, who previously decided against running for U.S. Senate, stepped down as Ohio House Minority Leader at the end of last year after being elected to the position in 2019. Sykes is currently serving her fourth term in the Ohio House. In 2014, she became the first Black woman under 30 to serve in the General Assembly.
"My parents and my community raised me with a few really strong values — that's to work hard, to never give up, to always do what's right and stand up for people and the right thing no matter my politics or what might be personally to my advantage," said Sykes.
Sykes now looks ahead to the 13th Congressional District race. What the district will look like remains to be seen. Last week, in a 4-3 decision, the Ohio Supreme Court struck down the map passed by the General Assembly in November. The map would have unfairly favored the Republican party to win 12 of Ohio's 15 congressional districts, according to the court. The state legislature will have to get that worked out in the next 30 days. If not, it goes to the Ohio Redistricting Commission which would have another 30 days.
Sykes was a member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission that passed legislative district maps. Both she and her father, Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, voted against the maps. The court also nixed those maps. The commission will have to start over, however, Sykes has been replaced by Ohio House Minority Leader-elect Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, on the panel.
Meanwhile, Sykes is also paying attention to what is happening, or not happening, at the federal level with President Joe Biden's agenda being stalled.
"I know the members who are elected to Congress want to do what's best for their community, and sometimes it just takes taking a step back and listening and trying to figure out that path forward. And so I look forward to working with the administration to advance the agenda of the people of northeast Ohio, this state and this country," Sykes said.
Sykes is one of a handful of candidates in the race, including Republican Max Miller, who served as an aide for former President Donald Trump. Trump has endorsed Miller as well. However, Sykes is confident she knows what is best for her community and how to get the job done.
"The way to do that is to take my ego out of the work and work in a bipartisan manner with my colleagues," said Sykes.
RNC Spokesman Dan Lusheck said on Sykes' candidacy, "After seeing the effects of a rubber stamp on Joe Biden’s agenda, voters in northeast Ohio will be hard pressed to give Emilia Sykes anything more than a cursory glance."