34th Ohio House District race: Gene Littlefield, Emilia Sykes
Republican challenger Gene Littlefield did not provide responses.
State Rep. Emilia Sykes, Democratic incumbent
Age: 30
From: Akron
Experience: State representative (2015-present); administrative staff adviser, Summit County Fiscal Office; law clerk to the Chief Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia; judicial assistant, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio; research assistant, Institute for Child Health Policy.
Education: J.D. with certificate in family law, University of Florida; Master’s in Public Health, University of Florida ; Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and minor in Political Science, Kent State University.
Q1: Why should Ohioans support your candidacy? (100 words)
Ohioans should support me because I have a genuine interest in the future of this state. I take my responsibility as state representative seriously and I believe that my role is to be of service to the public. Period.
Additionally, I remain concerned and involved with the financial stability of both the state and the people who live here. Whether it’s the sustainability of the state’s Medicaid program or the ability for people to earn a livable wage that supports themselves and their family, it is imperative to me that every Ohioan has an opportunity to obtain their version of the American dream, here in Ohio.
Q2: There is deep polarization in government and the public. How would you use elected office to bridge racial and partisan divides? (100 words)
To bridge the partisan and racial divides I would do what I have been doing, which is engaging people in honest discussions while creating a non-judgmental safe space for all thoughts and feelings to be examined. Pretending as though these divides don’t exist and refusing to honestly engage won’t fix the problem. Therefore, I have joined the NextGeneration National Institute for Civil Discourse to learn more tools to promote civility and welcome discussions about individual and cultural differences.
Q3: What is Ohio’s most pressing problem and what would you do, if elected, to fix it? (200 words)
Ohio’s most pressing problem is the inability for many hard-working people to move up the economic ladder despite their best efforts and playing by the rules. This issue plays out across many age groups and demographics. For example, young people who are saddled in student loan debt cannot buy homes, establish credit, and fully contribute to society as they would like, and it makes Ohio a less desirable place for young educated and skilled people to live. Additionally, people with low and moderate incomes are stuck in jobs with stagnant wages that prevent self-sufficiency despite their best efforts to get ahead. All of these issues then become more complex when you add lack of affordable housing and an education system that does benefit every child in this state no matter their zip code. My solution to this issue is to invest in people, through education, public education, preventative health care and wellness. Currently the state has been focusing on building the states economy from the top down rather than creating a sustainable foundation and building from the bottom up. I would work to reverse that trend.
Q4: Most congressional and Ohio races are not competitive. Why do you think that is and what impact might it have on democracy and how government functions? Is this a problem and, if so, how do we fix it? (100 words)
A major problem for Ohio congressional districts is that gerrymandering has allowed politicians to pick their voters, rather than voters picking their elected officials, leaving many of the needs of Ohioans unaddressed. I believe this leads to much of the voter apathy we are facing now. Replicating Issue 1 (2015) would greatly help with the way congressional districts are drawn in Ohio. As a member of the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission, I have been a strong advocate for that commission to take up the issue since the current General Assembly leadership refuses to move it though the House and Senate.