# OH-13 — 2026 U.S. House Race ## Snapshot — Redistricting made Sykes safer, not weaker Democrat **[[Emilia Sykes]]** went from one of the nation's most endangered House members (a ~2.2-point 2024 win) to a Likely-Democratic incumbent in a single cycle — because Ohio's 2025 mid-decade redraw made OH-13 **bluer** (~D+4), dropping Republican-leaning Canton and adding Democratic Kent. The change drove 2024 GOP nominee Kevin Coughlin out of a planned rematch. **[[Carey Coleman]]** (R) won the May 5 primary as a less-established replacement. **Key takeaway:** A rare case where a GOP-controlled mid-decade map made a Democratic seat *safer* — Republicans traded OH-13 for gains elsewhere on the statewide map, and the strongest GOP challenger walked away as a result. ## Snapshot Akron/Canton area, anchored by Summit County (Akron). The 2025 redraw shed part of Stark County (Canton) and added the city of Kent, moving the baseline from roughly even/D+2 to **~D+4**. **[[Emilia Sykes]]** (D) won 2024 by ~2.2 points; she is unopposed in the 2026 Democratic primary. ## Incumbent **[[Emilia Sykes]]** (D). In Congress since 2023; former Ohio House minority leader; well-funded and established. Unopposed for renomination. ## Republican primary (May 5, completed) **[[Carey Coleman]]** (R) — former WNIR talk-radio host and ex-TV meteorologist — won with ~47% over a four-candidate field (nearest rival ~18%). A first-time congressional nominee and a significant underdog given the new D+4 lean. Independent Sandeep Dixit is also on the general-election ballot. ## Ratings history | Outlet | Current | Prior | Shift | |---|---|---|---| | [[Cook Political Report]] | Likely Democratic | Lean D | Moved to Likely D after redraw | | Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Democratic | — | Post-redraw | | Inside Elections | Lean Democratic | Toss Up | Moved after new map | **Context**: The mid-decade redraw is the whole story — it moved the seat out of toss-up territory and prompted the strongest GOP challenger to exit. ## Key dates - **May 5, 2026** — Ohio primary — completed - **November 3, 2026** — General election ## Money Reliable Q1 2026 figures for the redrawn district were not available; with the rating shift and Coughlin's exit, both campaigns appear lower-priority than in 2024. ## Intel notes - **GOP redraw backfired here.** Ohio Republicans made OH-13 bluer (Canton out, Kent in) to bank gains elsewhere — the opposite of the usual gerrymander logic for this seat. - **The map drove out the challenger.** 2024 nominee Kevin Coughlin abandoned a rematch citing no path/national support, leaving the less-established Carey Coleman. - **Sykes de-risked.** A ~2-point 2024 winner became a Likely-D incumbent purely on map changes. ## Related KB entities - [[Emilia Sykes]] — incumbent - [[Carey Coleman]] — Republican nominee - [[2026 House Races Hub]] — overview ## Sources - [Ballotpedia — OH-13 election, 2026](https://ballotpedia.org/Ohio's_13th_Congressional_District_election,_2026) - [Ohio Capital Journal — Coleman wins OH-13 GOP primary](https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/05/05/derek-merrin-eric-conroy-and-carey-coleman-win-ohio-congressional-primary-races/) - [Inside Elections — analysis of Ohio's new map](https://insideelections.com/news/article/a-detailed-analysis-of-ohios-new-congressional-map) - [Newsweek — Coughlin and OH-13 redistricting](https://www.newsweek.com/ohio-republican-coughlin-redistricting-10981670) - [Cook Political Report — OH-13](https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/483841)