{{Short description|American politician (born 1970)}} {{for|the photojournalist|Kevin P. Coughlin}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kevin Coughlin | image = Kevin Coughlin 2024 3x4.jpg | caption = Coughlin in 2024 | state_senate = Ohio | district = 27th | term_start = February 2, 2001 | term_end = December 31, 2010 | predecessor = Roy Ray | successor = Frank LaRose | state_house1 = Ohio | district1 = 46th | term_start1 = January 3, 1997 | term_end1 = February 1, 2001 | predecessor1 = Wayne Jones | successor1 = John Widowfield | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|5|13}} | birth_place = Mayfield Heights, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | education = Bowling Green State University (BA, MPA) | website = [https://kevincoughlin.com/ Campaign Website] }} '''Kevin J. Coughlin''' (born May 13, 1970)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gongwer-oh.com/directories/bio.cfm?nameid=46402|title=Gongwer News Service-Ohio|website=www.gongwer-oh.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.akron.com/articles/ohio-representative-to-congress-district-13/|title=Ohio Representative to Congress, District 13 - Akron.com|date=October 24, 2024}}</ref> is a Republican former member of the Ohio Senate, who represented the 27th District from 2001 to 2010. He was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1997 until 2000. He served as Clerk of the Stow Municipal Court from 2013 to 2015. Since 2010, he has been president of Lexington Companies, a marketing company.
Coughlin won the Republican nomination in the 2024 primary for Ohio's 13th congressional district. He was narrowly defeated by Democrat Emilia Sykes in the general election. Coughlin announced that he would seek a rematch with Sykes in the 2026 election before ultimately dropping out in November 2025.<ref name=rematch>{{cite news |last1=Eaton |first1=Sabrina |title=Republican Kevin Coughlin seeks 2026 rematch against Democratic U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes |url=https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/04/republican-kevin-coughlin-seeks-2026-rematch-against-democratic-us-rep-emilia-sykes.html |access-date=22 May 2025 |publisher=Cleveland.com |date=2 April 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
==Life and career== Coughlin graduated from Woodridge High School in Peninsula, Ohio, in 1988, received a BA from Bowling Green State University in 1992, and a Master of Public Administration from BGSU in 1994. In 1996, he ran for the Ohio House of Representatives after Representative Wayne Jones vacated to run for the Ohio Senate. He won the seat, and was sworn into office on January 3, 1997. He won reelection in 1998 with 63.64%, and again in 2000 with 63.9% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2000ElectionsResults/OHHouseReps11072000.aspx | title=2000 general election results | date=November 7, 2000 | accessdate=September 12, 2011 | url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627172935/http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/electResultsMain/2000ElectionsResults/OHHouseReps11072000.aspx | archivedate=June 27, 2011 }}</ref>
Coughlin served two and one half terms in the Ohio House of Representatives.
==Ohio Senate== thumb|Coughlin during his tenure as a state senator, 2006|left|250x250px After four terms in the Ohio Senate, Senator Roy Ray retired early in 2001, leaving Senate Republicans to appoint someone to the vacant 27th District. Coughlin was appointed, and was sworn into office on February 2, 2001. He won his own four-year term in 2002 with 52.98% of the electorate against Democrat Tom Bevan. He won reelection in 2006 with 52.28% again Judy Hanna. In the Ohio Senate, Coughlin was Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services, & Aging Committee from 2004 to 2011.<ref name="Ohio Senate Website">{{cite web|url=http://www.ohiosenate.gov/kevin-coughlin.html|title=Senator Kevin Coughlin (R) - District 27|date=26 March 2010|accessdate=10 November 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326022555/http://www.ohiosenate.gov/kevin-coughlin.html|archivedate=26 March 2010}}</ref>
==Later career== In 2009, Coughlin considered running for Governor of Ohio. He declined to run after former Congressman John Kasich announced his candidacy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2009/07/coughlin_drops_from_governors.html|title=State Sen. Kevin Coughlin drops from governor's race|website=Cleveland.com|date=13 July 2009|accessdate=10 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ohio.com/news/coughlin-quits-governor-s-race-1.104237 |title=Coughlin quits governor's race - News - Ohio |accessdate=2015-01-26 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163034/http://www.ohio.com/news/coughlin-quits-governor-s-race-1.104237 |archivedate=2015-04-02 }}</ref>
Coughlin formed an exploratory committee to consider a run for United States Senate in 2012. In October 2011 he announced he would not run, citing incumbent Sherrod Brown's strong polling numbers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2011/10/kevin_coughlin_pulls_out_of_us.html|title=Kevin Coughlin pulls out of U.S. Senate race|website=Cleveland.com|date=25 October 2011|accessdate=10 November 2017}}</ref>
Coughlin serves on the board of directors of the Ohio Capital Square Foundation and is a member of the Summit County Republican Executive Committee and Finance Committee. He lives in Bath Township, Ohio.
Coughlin is the Ohio chair for U.S. Term Limits.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pressure grows for Congress to enact term limits |url=https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/pressure-grows-for-congress-to-enact-term-limits-republicans-democrats-gop-liberal-elections-government-mike-johnson-chuck-schumer-mitch-mcconell-nancy-pelosi-hakeem-jeffries |access-date=22 May 2025 |work=WSYX |date=14 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
== United States House of Representatives elections == ===2024=== {{main|2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio#District 13}}
Coughlin easily defeated two opponents to win the 2024 primary to be the Republican candidate for Ohio's 13th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/03/kevin-coughlin-wins-gop-primary-in-ohios-13th-congressional-district-will-take-on-freshman-democrat-emilia-sykes.html |title=Kevin Coughlin wins GOP primary in Ohio’s 13th congressional district; will take on freshman Democrat Emilia Sykes |last=Eaton |first=Sabrina |date=19 March 2024 |website=cleveland.com |publisher=The Plain Dealer |access-date=20 March 2024}}</ref> During the general election, he was narrowly defeated by incumbent Democrat Emilia Sykes.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kreider |first1=Derek |last2=Williams |first2=Patrick |date=5 November 2024 |title=Emilia Sykes reelected in 13th Congressional District race as Kevin Coughlin concedes |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/05/2024-election-results-ohio-emilia-sykes-kevin-coughlin-race-oh-13-district/75917122007/ |work=Akron Beacon Journal |access-date=7 November 2024}}</ref>
===2026=== {{main|2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio#District 13}}
Coughlin was seeking a rematch with Sykes in the 2026 election. He dropped out of the race in November 2025 following a redistricting decision that made the district more favorable to incumbent Democrat Emilia Sykes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kevin Coughlin drops out of Akron-area congressional race after redistricting decision |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/11/02/kevin-coughlin-exits-ohios-13th-district-race-against-emilia-sykes/87053231007/ |access-date=11 December 2025 |work=Akron Beacon Journal |date=November 2, 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://kevincoughlin.com/ Kevin Coughlin.com] official website *[https://www.lexingtoncos.com Lexington Companies] official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coughlin, Kevin}} Category:1970 births Category:21st-century members of the Ohio General Assembly Category:Bowling Green State University alumni Category:Candidates in the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections Category:Living people Category:Republican Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives Category:Republican Party Ohio state senators