The district included Akron, Barberton, Green, Portage Lakes, Sawyerwood, Lakemore and portions of Cuyahoga Falls, Mogadore and Tallmadge in Summit County.

A member of the Democratic Party, Sykes formerly served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1982 to 2000 and again from 2007 to 2014, and prior to that was an Akron City Councilman.

While heavily favored, Sykes faced DUI charges during the primary election campaign, somewhat dampening his chances.

[4] With the 2010 election, Sykes won a third term over Republican Josh Sines and Libertarian Kurtis Liston by taking 77.66% of the vote.

In 2016, state Senator Thomas C. Sawyer, who had represented Akron in some facet for nearly half a century, was term-limited.