Former Ohio U.S. Representative Bob Gibbs endorsed Kevin Coughlin’s campaign for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District this week.
“I served with Kevin Coughlin in the Ohio Senate. He is a proven, dependable conservative who can be counted on in Congress to stand up for taxpayers. Kevin knows how to get things done and will quickly become an effective voice for the 13th District,” Gibbs said in a statement.
“I know Kevin can flip this seat and I’m proud to endorse him,” Gibbs added.
I'm proud to have received an endorsement from Congressman Gibbs in the race for #OH13! I am the ONLY candidate in this race who will have the grassroots support to flip this seat in November! Stay tuned for more endorsements 👀 pic.twitter.com/eRgV88Qcb1
— Kevin Coughlin 🇺🇸 (@KevinCoughlin) December 14, 2023
Coughlin (pictured above), a Republican, responded to Gibbs’ endorsement, writing on X, “I’m proud to have received an endorsement from Congressman Gibbs in the race for #OH13! I am the ONLY candidate in this race who will have the grassroots support to flip this seat in November!”
Ohio’s 13th Congressional District is currently represented by Democrat U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13), who was elected to the seat in 2022 after serving eight years as a state representative for Ohio House District 34.
Coughlin, a former Ohio state lawmaker and current business owner, launched his campaign last month. He is a fourth-generation resident of Summit County.
Upon launching his bid for Congress last month, Coughlin announced that every county GOP chair in the district – Bryan Williams in Summit County, Janet Weir Creighton in Stark County, and Amanda Suffecool in Portage County – would all serve as co-chairs of his campaign.
Coughlin was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1996 where he flipped the seat from Democrat to Republican. He was elected to three terms and served until 2001 before becoming a member of the Ohio Senate in 2001 where he was elected twice.
Chris Banweg, a business executive and lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, will face Coughlin in the Republican primary on March 19, 2024.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Kevin Coughlin” by Kevin Coughlin for Congress.
