2022 Voter Guide: Who will represent Akron and Canton area in Congress?
Welcome to the 2022 Voter Guide produced by the League of Women Voters of Akron and Hudson and the Akron Beacon Journal with funding from the Knight Foundation.
This story focuses on Ohio's 13th Congressional District, which includes Summit County, northern Stark County and the village of Mogadore in Portage County.
Election coverage:Who will speak for Ohio's 13th Congressional District?
This year's general election on Nov. 8 will see Ohioans voting for an array of local and statewide offices and local issues. Early voting began Oct. 12 and ends at 2 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Summit County Board of Elections Early Vote Center, 500 Grant St., Akron.
Candidate responses are not edited or vetted by the League of Women Voters or Beacon Journal to allow them to speak in their own words.
Interactive Voter Guide
If you click on the first link below, you can provide your address and see a customized ballot with your local races and issues only. If you prefer to find your own races, scroll down lower on this page.
2022 Election: Summit County Voter Guide
13th Congressional District
Madison Gesiotto Gilbert
Party: Republican
Candidate did not respond.
Emilia Sykes
Party: Democrat
Education: B.A. in Psychology, Kent State University; Master of Public Health, University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions; Juris Doctor, University of Florida Levin College of Law
Training/Experience: Administrative Staff Advisor, Summit County Fiscal Office; Law Clerk to the Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Georgia
Current Occupation: State Representative, Ohio House District 34
Website: www.emiliasykesforcongress.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmiliaSykes
Campaign Twitter Handle: @EmiliaSykesOH
Instagram: www.instagram.com/emilia_sykes/
Why are you the best candidate for this office? Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, I currently serve as a State Representative in Ohio’s 34th legislative district where I’ve served since 2014. As Ohio House Minority Leader, I worked with both parties to raise teacher and healthcare worker pay and bring tax relief to hardworking Ohio families. In Congress, I will fight to lower costs, relieve the burden facing Ohio seniors and families, create good-paying jobs, and keep our communities safe. I am a proven, trusted and experienced public servant that knows this community well because it’s my home. I have repeatedly stood up for democracy and against hate and violence in all of its forms. I am committed to continuing working for the people of this district and providing effective leadership that delivers meaningful results to improve the lives of the people who live here.
What is the most pressing issue facing the federal government? What solutions will you promote? Whether it’s gas, groceries, healthcare or housing, Americans are paying too much for the goods and services they need. We can start to lower costs and relieve this stress in four ways. First, we need to make things in America again by bringing manufacturing to Northeast Ohio. Second, we can put more money in people’s pockets with a middle-class tax cut, expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, and reinstating the Child Tax Credit. Third, we must invest in quality education, trade schools, and affordable higher education. And finally, we can reduce the burden on seniors by lowering drug prices and capping out of pocket spending on health care.
What is your position on efforts to protect our water, air, and land? I strongly believe that access to clean water, clean air and a clean environment is a basic human right. As a state legislator and former Democratic Leader of the Ohio House I have been committed to fighting for environmental justice, equality, sustainability, and for a state where we can live out our American dream. Climate change is one of our greatest threats, and combined with inequitable environmental policies, it’s hindering the ability of current and future generations to secure better jobs, better lives, and brighter futures.
What is the role of the federal government in assuring access to high quality education (include PK - 20)? I strongly support our public schools and have long opposed efforts to short-change them by allowing public funds to be siphoned off to fund for-profit charter and online schools. Families should have a choice of where to send their students to learn but the allocation of resources should not come at the expense of public schools. The federal government has a responsibility to ensure that no student is denied the right to equal educational opportunity based on race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or other protected status.
What is your position on women's reproductive rights and health? I have long been an advocate for reproductive rights and reproductive justice, including abortion and contraceptive access. Women should have the freedom to decide what happens to their body, and that decision should not include politicians. These deeply personal and intimate discussions do not need the interference of strangers who couldn’t possibly understand the circumstances that bring people to make such decisions.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 13th Congressional election: Sykes vs Gesiotto Gilbert
