Born and raised in Akron, Emilia Strong Sykes was elected to represent her hometown in 2014. An accomplished legislator, Sykes has passed several bills into law, including HB1 which allows victims of dating violence to obtain civil protection orders, saving lives and helping victims to live without fear of their abuser. In her third term, Sykes was elected by the Democratic Caucus to serve as Ohio House Minority Leader, where she led the caucus in passing more Democratic-sponsored bills than the previous two General Assemblies combined, delivering real results and working to restore the Ohio Promise for all Ohioans.