Emilia Sykes

The Summit County Republican Party has endorsed one of the five candidates vying in the May 5 primary to run against incumbent Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes in the general election for Ohio's 13th Congressional District seat.

"I’m honored to announce that I have received the UNANIMOUS endorsement of the Summit County Republican Party," Carey Coleman wrote on social media on March 22. "This isn’t just an endorsement it’s a powerful statement that our campaign is united, focused, and ready to win. When party leaders, grassroots activists, and local Republicans all come together with one voice, it sends a clear message: Summit County is ready for new leadership."

County party Chairman Bryan Williams didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.

Williams said previously he was personally most interested in Coleman because of his established public profile from years on television and radio. He noted that Coleman spent hours discussing the issues as a talk show host on WNIR.

"I think that probably makes him the strongest candidate going into the screening committee in terms of name recognition and ability to talk on the issues," Williams said.

Cory Medina, Sykes' campaign manager, said via email that the congresswoman “is excited to continue the conversation with her constituents about her work to lower everyday costs, protect what people have earned, keep communities safe, increase access to affordable health care, and clean up corruption. She looks forward to earning reelection this fall.”

Coleman said he joined the race because he wants to improve public safety and border security, protect Constitutional rights, and “generally speaking, try to keep taxes under control so working families have more of what they earn.” His priorities also include bolstering economic stability, lowering the cost of living and improving public safety. He said he’s lived in Sagamore Hills for the past 12 years.

Coleman, 66, is a former radio talk show host for WNIR-FM and television meteorologist who announced he was stepping away from his radio duties to run for Congress.

Voters still must choose between Coleman and four other candidates — Margaret Briem, Sanjin Drakovac, Neil Patel and Kevin Siembida — in the May 5 primary. The winner will face Sykes in the Nov. 3 election.

The 13th District was redrawn in 2025 to favor Democrats by a 3% to 4% margin, prompting Republican Kevin Coughlin to withdraw. He battled Sykes for the seat in 2024, coming within striking distance. Previously, it was classified as one of the few real tossup districts in the country, being split nearly 50/50 along party lines.

The district's new boundary includes all of Summit County, a swath of northwestern Stark County and the Kent area in western Portage County.

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at [email protected] or 330-541-9413.