Ohio Redistricting Commission Adopts Congressional Map, Democrats Call for Independent Redistricting Process

Today, Co-Chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission and Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) released the following statement following the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s approval of a congressional map:

“This is not the Congressional map Ohioans deserve. Throughout the redistricting process, our Republican colleagues made it abundantly clear that they had no interest in transparency, upholding the constitution, or drawing a fair map for the benefit of the people of Ohio. 

“Instead, in private and public conversations, their threat was clear: If we refused a deal, Republicans intended to further gerrymander the state by enacting a 13-2 map on a party-line vote in November. Just like in Texas or Missouri, Democratic representation in Ohio would have been decimated, and in the process, the people we fight for would have been left behind. Facing this impossible challenge with no certain path to preserve a fair map, we worked toward a compromise that would allow for each of the current Democratic congressmembers to continue representing their districts.”

“We started this process by publicly introducing the fairest map Ohio’s seen in recent memory. But instead of engaging in honest deliberations, our colleagues stonewalled, blocked efforts for an up or down vote on our proposal and entirely refused to craft their own map until the eleventh hour. The only way things change is if we can find the courage to move to a system where citizens, not politicians, draw our lines.”

The map passed by the Ohio Redistricting Commission will remain in effect until 2032 when Ohio will redistrict following the 2030 Census.