It’s looking increasingly likely that voters in Akron and the surrounding area will see a rematch of the 2024 congressional election next year.
Republican Kevin Coughlin, who narrowly lost last year in his challenge of Democratic U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, is well on his way to consolidating support from his potential future colleagues. He’s now landed endorsements from all 10 Ohio Republican congressmen and Ohio’s two U.S. Senators, Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno.
Given the role that support from incumbent Republicans plays in fundraising, the development sets up Coughlin to zip through the May 2026 primary, unlike in 2024, when he had to defeat a more open field of candidates first.
Coughlin said in a statement he’s honored.
“Our Party is completely unified behind our campaign, and our momentum is at an all-time high,” he said. “These leaders are fighting every day to secure our border, grow our economy, and protect our freedoms. I look forward to joining them in delivering real results for the people of Northeast Ohio.”
Sykes spokesperson Justin Barasky issued a statement mocking Coughlin by previewing some likely campaign themes against him.
“It’s no surprise that Washington is coalescing around a self serving lobbyist like Kevin Coughlin who gave government contracts to his friends while in office, has a long history of wanting to gut Medicare and Social Security, and supports a bill to give tax breaks to the super wealthy while ripping away healthcare from thousands of Ohioans,” Barasky said. “Coughlin’s record of corruption and subservience to special interests will lead him to yet another loss in 2026.”
How Ohio’s 13th Congressional District could change
Sykes has represented Ohio’s 13th Congressional District since 2022. The district – which includes all of Summit County and northern Stark County – is Ohio’s most competitive congressional district on paper, favoring Democratic candidates just slightly to win.
In reality, Sykes beat Coughlin by a little more than 2 percentage points in 2024. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris won the district by 0.04% – receiving roughly 175 votes more than President Donald Trump did – making the district by far the closest presidential result in the country, according to elections data compiled by The Downballot. (The second closest result was Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, which Trump won by 0.2%.)
That doesn’t mean the district will be drawn so evenly split by the time the November 2026 election rolls around.
Later this year, Republicans will have a chance to redraw Ohio’s congressional district maps, which currently contain 10 Republican-leaning districts that range from pretty safe to very safe, two safe Democratic districts and three toss-ups that Democrats all currently control.
They’re redrawing the maps because when the GOP lawmakers first approved them in 2022, they failed to get any Democratic support. Under Ohio’s redistricting system, congressional maps without bipartisan support last for four years instead of 10 years.
Democrats will want to keep the maps the same, even though they voted against the maps in 2022. That’s because unlike before, Republicans hold six of the seven seats on the Ohio Supreme Court, making it less likely the court will block maps for lacking political balance. Republicans also now hold a few extra legislative seats, which will make it easier to approve a map sooner.
So if Republicans are inclined to make the 13th Congressional District easier to win, they could do so by adding in some areas of Portage or rural Stark counties that currently are part of safer, nearby Republican districts.
Republican legislative leaders have said they plan to start the redistricting process after wrapping up the state budget at the end of June. The first deadline to approve a new map falls on Sept. 30, which would involve the state legislature drawing and approving a plan.
