Ohio Supreme Court justice Melody Stewart was on hand at Firestone Community Learning Center on Saturday, to officially swear in the Akron area's newest member of Congress, 13th District Representative, Emilia Sykes.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports the Sykes received a standing ovation at the ceremony and that as she addressed the crowd she emphasized that the congressional seat she occupies really belongs to the people of Ohio’s 13th district saying, “I am merely a temporary occupant.”

Many community leaders were on hand to speak at Saturday’s ceremony including Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers and secretary-treasurer of the Ohio AFL-CIO. Cropper said of Sykes, “You voted in a champion, not only for Ohio's District 13, not only for all of us across the state of Ohio, but a champion for working people all across our great nation.”

Sykes is the first woman of color to represent the 13th district. And due to redistricting it is the first time in nearly 50 years that all of Akron is represented by one member of the U.S. House of Representatives. All of Summit County falls inside the boundaries of the 13th district, as well as the northern half or Stark County, and a small portion of Portage County.