Kevin Coughlin

Kevin Coughlin

Republican Party

Candidate, U.S. House Ohio District 13

Prior offices

Ohio House of Representatives District 46

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Ohio State Senate District 27

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Elections and appointments

Next election

May 5, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Bowling Green State University, 1992

Graduate

Bowling Green State University, 1993

Personal

Birthplace

Mayfield Heights, Ohio

Religion

Roman Catholic

Profession

Business owner and president

Contact

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Kevin Coughlin (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 13th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on May 5, 2026.^[source]

Coughlin (Republican Party) was a member of the Ohio State Senate, representing District 27. He assumed office in 2001. He left office in 2011.

Biography

Kevin Coughlin was born in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1992 and a graduate degree in 1993, both from Bowling Green State University. His career experience includes working as a business owner and president. He also previously worked as a media consultant from 1992 to 1996 and as an instructor at the University of Akron beginning in 2002. Coughlin has been affiliated with the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and has served as a board member of the Capitol Square Foundation and on the Western Reserve Hospital Community Business Leaders Council.

Committee assignments

Prior to leaving the Ohio State Senate, Coughlin served on the following committees:

• Health, Human Services and Aging Committee, Ohio Senate
• Judiciary - Criminal Justice Committee, Ohio Senate
• Rules Committee, Ohio Senate

Elections

2026

See also: Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on May 5, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Sandeep Dixit is running in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Sandeep Dixit (Independent)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Incumbent Emilia Sykes is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
		Emilia Sykes

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Margaret Briem and Kevin Coughlin are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Margaret Briem
		Kevin Coughlin

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2024

Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Republican primary)

Ohio's 13th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 19 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Incumbent Emilia Sykes defeated Kevin Coughlin in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes (D)	51.1	197,466
		Kevin Coughlin (R)	48.9	188,924

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 386,390
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Liam Walker (George Wallace Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Incumbent Emilia Sykes advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emilia Sykes	100.0	41,257

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 41,257
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13

Kevin Coughlin defeated Chris Banweg and Richard Morckel in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 13 on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kevin Coughlin	65.0	39,378
		Chris Banweg	27.6	16,703
		Richard Morckel	7.4	4,496

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 60,577
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Gregory Wheeler (R)
• Madison Gesiotto Gilbert (R)

Endorsements

Coughlin received the following endorsements.

• Former President Donald Trump (Republican Party, Conservative Party)
• Congressional Leadership Fund

Pledges

Coughlin signed the following pledges.

• Taxpayer Protection Pledge, Americans for Tax Reform
• U.S. Term Limits

2010

Coughlin was ineligible to run for re-election due to term-limits.

2006

On November 7, Coughlin, was re-elected to Ohio State Senate District 27 .

Coughlin raised $1,749,259 for his campaign. This includes $107,620 which was raised in the last election cycle when his seat was not up for election.

Ohio State Senate District 27
Candidates		Votes
Kevin Coughlin (R)		68,381
Judy A. Hanna (D)		62,409

2002

After being first appointed to the Ohio State Senate in 2001, Couglin was elected to his first full term on November 5, 2002.

Ohio State Senate District 27
Candidates		Votes
Kevin Coughlin (R)		55,604
Tom Bevan (D)		49,396

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

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2024

Kevin Coughlin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Coughlin's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a small business owner and former State Senator running to put responsible leadership to work for you in the United States Congress.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Fiscal responsibility
• End the immigration crisis
• Create prosperity by attacking inflation and fixing the economy

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Bringing our federal government and its spending under control; working with local and state governments to fight crime and drug trafficking; ending the immigration crisis and creating a system that works for everyone; standing up to China.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Iran Hostage crisis and the election of Ronald Reagan, followed by the freeing of the hostages. I was 10 when Reagan was elected.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

When I was 15, I was a cook at the BK Rootbeer Drive-In in Cuyahoga Falls for about a year.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Summit County Republican Party Chairman Bryan C. Williams

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Coughlin’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Too often, Members of Congress get to D.C. and forget the people they’re there to serve. As a husband, father, small business owner and fifth generation resident of Summit County, Kevin will put Ohio workers and their families first. Never politicians, lobbyists or special interests. He’s done it before, and will do it again, no matter the political cost. CRIME AND SAFETY The mission is simple. Keep the people who are committing crimes away from law-abiding citizens. It’s time to throw out the politicians whose soft-on-crime policies have helped create this deadly and dangerous crime surge. Kevin supports our police and worked tirelessly in the Ohio legislature protect children and the victims of domestic abuse by giving law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges the tools they need to keep our communities safe. He will fight for border patrol agents, first responders, and law enforcement officers. Kevin will work to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts to combat drug and human trafficking, homelessness, and addiction. STOP RECKLESS SPENDING Kevin is the candidate in this race who has walked the walk when it comes to responsible spending. Kevin helped pass balanced budgets in Ohio that generated surplus revenue. In Congress, he will advocate for a constitutional amendment to balance the budget to get America’s fiscal house in order. He will work to hold the line on the Biden administration’s 40-year-high inflation so that everyday expenses for Ohioans are brought under control. PROTECT TAXPAYERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES As a small business owner, Kevin understands what we need: a more competitive tax rate and less unnecessary red tape. Kevin is a five-time Watchdog of the Treasury Award winner. He has signed the pledge to oppose any attempts to raise taxes on Americans. In Ohio, he led efforts to cut the income tax, eliminate the estate tax, and he held the line against tax hikes. Letting Ohioans keep more of their hard-earned money allows them to save, invest, and spend to meet their needs, and start to grow a business. BRING OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY Congress has given away much of its power to the executive agencies over the span of our lifetime. It’s time to reel in the bureaucrats. Kevin will be a warrior against wasteful spending and abuse. It begins with passing regular budgets, rather than continuing spending resolutions that do nothing but empower the bureaucrats and drive up the deficit. Kevin will advocate for greater Congressional oversight of the administrative state so that agencies are following the intent of the people’s elected representatives. STOP THE BIDEN BORDER CRISIS The Biden administration’s open borders are allowing drug cartels and human smugglers to flood into the country, bringing illicit drugs and crime into communities across the United States, and opening us up to the risk of terrorism. Kevin will work to secure the border and close loopholes that allow illegal immigrants who commit a crime to escape justice. A path to citizenship for people who came here illegally is unacceptable. EDUCATION, NOT INDOCTRINATION Kevin’s record on education is clear. He was on the ground floor of the parents' rights movement in Ohio, helping to establish choice scholarships and sponsoring Ohio’s special education scholarship so that kids with special needs can go to the schools that best fits their needs. He will be a voice for kids and parents in Washington. PRESERVING THE GREAT LAKES Lake Erie and our Great Lakes notably provide pristine recreational opportunities, but they play a vital role in our economy. Kevin will work to protect our Great Lakes for future generations while strengthening both the ecology and the economy of these incredible resources. DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION Defending our Constitution is the foremost responsibility of any Member of Congress. As the size of government grows, the American people are rightly concerned about its interference in our lives. Kevin will always ensure Congress is acting as a check and balance to protect the freedoms and liberties that we hold dear. PROTECT OUR MILITARY AND VETERANS Kevin grew up with his World War II veteran grandfather in the home. Anne’s grandfather was shot down over Europe and escaped from the Nazis after being taken prisoner. In the Ohio Senate, he chaired the State & Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee where he prioritized health care and long-term care for our veterans, including building a new veterans home in the state. Additionally, he helped secure funding for the construction of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., where Ohio honor flights frequently take place. In Congress, Kevin will fight fraud and wasteful spending that weakens military readiness and takes away resources for our men and women in uniform. He will work toward prompt and quality health care through the VA and to provide choice to veterans. And he will work to improve mental health care services for veterans, and resources to help them integrate into civilian life.	”
—Kevin Coughlin’s campaign website (2024)

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Kevin Coughlin campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Ohio District 13	Candidacy Declared primary	$304,708	$29,406
2024*	U.S. House Ohio District 13	Lost general	$1,662,607	$1,605,989
Grand total			$1,967,316	$1,635,395
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Coughlin and his wife, Anne, have two children.

See also

2026 Elections

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Government

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Ohio State Senate District 27 2001-2011	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Ohio House of Representatives District 46 1997-2001	Succeeded by -

[show]

Ohio's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Jon Husted (R)

Bernie Moreno (R)

Representatives

District 1

Greg Landsman (D)

District 2

David Taylor (R)

District 3

Joyce Beatty (D)

District 4

Jim Jordan (R)

District 5

Bob Latta (R)

District 6

Michael Rulli (R)

District 7

Max Miller (R)

District 8

Warren Davidson (R)

District 9

Marcy Kaptur (D)

District 10

Michael Turner (R)

District 11

Shontel Brown (D)

District 12

Troy Balderson (R)

District 13

Emilia Sykes (D)

District 14

David Joyce (R)

District 15

Mike Carey (R)

Republican Party (12)

Democratic Party (5)