No Quick Answer in Dispute Over US Rep's Residency

A dispute over the residency of US Representative Emilia Sykes from Ohio is now in the hands of the state's secretary of state. The Summit County Board of Elections deadlocked Thursday on the question of whether Sykes actually has residency in her Akron district, prompting the matter to be referred to Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose for resolution. The challenge was initiated by a Republican activist as Sykes contends with GOP candidate Kevin Coughlin in the November 5 election; it's regarded as one of the tightest House races in the country.

In her defense, Sykes, a first-term congresswoman, has submitted an affidavit asserting her decade-long residence on North Howard Street; her driver's license and congressional pay stubs use that address. The controversy arose based on a form her husband, Kevin Boyce, filled out earlier this year, which listed her as a member of his Columbus household. He is an elected member of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners in Columbus, located about 130 miles southwest of Akron.

Boyce in September clarified before the board that Sykes does not reside with him in Franklin County. Her attorney, Don McTigue, pointed out, "There's nothing wrong with that, for spouses to have different residences." The board, split evenly between Democrats and Republicans, has two weeks to communicate their stance to LaRose, meaning a resolution likely won't occur before the election. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)