Ohio Republicans want physical location to be considered during the state’s congressional redistricting process, but Democrats argue that people, not land, vote.
An analysis of 10 years of election results — president, governor, senate and every other partisan statewide race. On average, Republicans win 55%-45% over Democrats.
With that breakdown, Democrats proposed a redrawn map with eight seats leaning red, seven blue.
But right now, Ohio’s 15 congressional districts are made up of 10 Republicans and five Democrats.
Catherine Turcer with Common Cause Ohio, a nonprofit that advocates for fair maps, said that’s a problem.
“It’s very hard to have accountable government if the district lines favor political parties so hard to the right or so hard to the left,” Turcer said.
She is concerned because Republicans haven’t introduced a map yet, and the Joint Committee on Congressional Redistricting’s deadline to pass a bipartisan map is Sept. 30.
“This is one of those situations where a picture is worth 1,000 words and that they have not actually begun this process in good faith is incredibly sad,” she said.
GOP party leaders said they want at least 12 of the 15 districts to lean Republican.
“Four Democrat counties in Ohio, three split counties and 79 Republican counties,” state Rep. Nick Santucci (R-Niles) said during the committee’s meeting Monday, noting a 2025 county commission map. “What do we say to the other counties that are solidly red? Do we just say, ‘Well, sorry, too bad?’”
Santucci and GOP leader Tony Schroeder argued that Democrats make up nearly half of the voting base, but they are primarily located in only a few urban areas: Cleveland, Akron, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton, and Athens, based on a WEWS/OCJ analysis. These areas have different priorities and demographics from red districts, Schroeder said.
“This would create situations where people in rural Ohio, especially, would be governed by people directly in urban centers,” he said.
There’s a solution for Democrats, he added.
“They can move,” according to Schroeder.
Democrats swiftly rejected this proposal.
“So you want people to move out of Franklin County, in the city of Columbus, to rural counties just to make things fair for a map?” state Sen. Bill DeMora said on Monday. “I mean, that’s utter ridiculousness.”
Turcer threw the argument back to the GOP, saying that just because the Republicans are more spread out, it doesn’t mean they get to supersede Democratic voices.
“Land doesn’t vote,” she said.
Urban and urban-suburban areas, where 45% of Ohio voters live, shouldn’t have to be governed by the rural areas, either, Democrats said.
Asked if a 12-3 or 13-2 map was reflective of the voter populace, Turcer said “well, of course not.”
The Republican leaders say that they won’t have a map by the constitutional deadline, which means the GOP-controlled Ohio Redistricting Commission will take over the process in October.
Deadlines and process
Sept. 30: The lawmakers need to pass a map with at least 60% in each chamber, and at least 50% support of Democrats.
If that fails, it goes to the ORC.
Oct. 31: To meet this deadline, at least four members of the ORC, including two Republicans and two Democrats, must approve.
If that fails, it goes back to the legislature.
Nov. 30: A map can also pass with a simple majority in the General Assembly, but it must be replaced after four years.
Republicans haven’t introduced their own map yet, but party leaders say they want at least 12 districts to lean red.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.
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