Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes is currently facing questions regarding her eligibility to vote for herself in the upcoming November elections due to concerns about her primary residence. The controversy began when a complaint was filed by Republican activist Tom Zawistowski, who pointed out a financial disclosure form filed by Sykes’ husband, Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce, indicating that Sykes resides with him in Columbus, Ohio, which is outside of Ohio’s 13th Congressional District where she is running for re-election. The Summit County Board of Elections, composed of two Democrats and two Republicans, was deadlocked on whether to investigate the complaint, leading to a tie-breaking vote by Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose in favor of an investigation. A hearing is scheduled to take place on Thursday to address the issue of Sykes’ eligibility to vote in her Akron district.
During the meeting, Democratic board members argued that the complaint against Sykes did not provide enough evidence to prove wrongdoing, emphasizing that state law allows for individuals to maintain multiple residences and express an intent to return to their registered address for voting purposes. They also highlighted that being married allows for individuals to have separate residences, and it is up to the individual to choose which residence to use for voting. The board members noted that there was no allegation that Sykes lacked a residence in Summit County or that she had designated a residence in Franklin County for voting purposes.
In response to the allegations, the Sykes campaign released a statement condemning the hearing as a “sham partisan hearing” and criticized her opponent, Kevin Coughlin, for spreading what they called false information. The campaign manager stated that Sykes resides in Akron and accused Coughlin of engaging in unethical behavior in politics.
Despite the arguments from both sides, Republicans and LaRose ultimately decided to move forward with the hearing to allow Sykes to clarify her residency status. While Sykes is not obligated to attend the hearing in person, she has the option to send legal representation on her behalf.
It is important to note that Sykes, as a first-term Democrat, won by a narrow margin in the previous election and is now defending her seat in a district that includes areas that strongly supported former President Donald Trump. The Cook Political Report has categorized the race as a “Democrat Toss Up,” indicating that it is a closely contested race.
The outcome of the hearing on Thursday will likely have significant implications for Sykes’ re-election campaign and could impact the overall dynamics of the closely watched House race. As the controversy continues to unfold, voters in Ohio’s 13th Congressional District will be closely monitoring the developments leading up to the November elections.
