Ohio — 13th District

This story has been updated with additional information.

Kevin Coughlin says he is ending his 2026 run for U.S. Congress after Ohio's redistricting made the 13th District seat more favorable to current U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron.

Coughlin, R-Hudson, said in posts on X and Facebook Nov. 2 that "I do not see a path to victory" in his second run against Sykes.

"Last year, we ran one of the closest races in the country for the US House in a district few gave us a chance of winning. In seeking a rematch, we earned the endorsements of every member of the Ohio Republican Delegation in Congress," he said in social media posts. "Our strong, well funded campaign cleared the upcoming primary field and was ready to flip OH-13 next fall. Unfortunately, the Ohio Redistricting Commission has made OH-13 significantly worse, moving it from a tossup to a D+4 district."

The redrawn 13th congressional district approved last week by the Ohio Redistricting Commission keeps Akron and Canton together while adding Kent, home of Kent State University. The new district favors Democrats by 3 to 4 percentage points.

"Having been through a tough 2024 campaign I know how this story ends and what this means in terms of fundraising and national support," he said. "I cannot ask our supporters to continue to invest their time and treasure into this race."

He said the redistricting agreement could have wider implications for the balance of power in Washington.

"The outcome of 2026 will determine the fate of the Trump presidency. The next Congress will either impeach and investigate, or make some of the Trump agenda permanent. A small group of people have dealt a serious setback to keeping the Republican majority in the House."

Coughlin thanked his supporters for their backing.

"Anne and I are grateful to everyone who has played a part in supporting this campaign and to our amazing team. We are forever grateful to have been born in the greatest, most free country on Earth. I’m sorry I won’t have a chance to fight for your American Dream in Congress."

The 2026 race had been shaping up to be a rematch between Sykes and Coughlin, who ran against each other in a tight race in November 2024. Sykes won with 51% of the vote, and Coughlin had 49%. The 13th Congressional District includes all of Summit County and a part of Stark and Portage counties.

"The voters of Ohio's 13th Congressional District elected me to fight for lower costs, put more money in their pockets and to keep our children and families safe," Sykes said in a written statement to the media on hearing about Coughlin dropping out. "It is the honor of my life to represent my community in Congress and continuing to do the work my constituents elected me to do remains my priority. I look forward to running for re-election in Ohio's 13th district to continue fighting for our values in Washington."

Mark Derrig, the Summit County Democratic Party Chair, said that anyone running against Sykes will face a tough candidate.

"I think Kevin Coughlin knew what we all knew, he'd be a two-time loser," Derrig said. "Emilia Sykes has shown to be a formidable candidate. She has shown herself to be an advocate for her constituents and whoever else joins the race will experience the same thing, that is, losing. It will be a tough race for anyone. She does her job very well."

According to the Secretary of State's office, the filing deadline for the May 5 primary is Feb. 6.

Sykes is in her second two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She first won the seat in 2022 in a race against Republican Madison Gesiotto Gilbert.