COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Redistricting Commission has approved new boundaries for Ohio’s 15 U.S. House seats Wednesday, which will likely again result in another legal battle.
This is the new GOP proposal. @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/lUa5ZOE7ub
— Josh Rultenberg (@JoshRultNews) March 2, 2022
The maps passed by a party-line vote with the panel’s five Republican members all voting in favor while the two Democrats on the commission voted in opposition.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Democrats offered a map they claimed would more accurately align with the political leanings of the state by giving the GOP an edge in eight of the 15 seats. That map, however, was voted down by all five Republicans.
This is the Dems map they have moved to adopt. @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/0wySOHclBv
— Josh Rultenberg (@JoshRultNews) March 2, 2022
The Democrats then asked for more time to discuss the Republicans’ proposal, but were turned down.
The GOP’s plan calls for 10 Republican-safe districts, three Democratic-safe districts and two toss-up districts that lean Democratic, likely resulting in a 10-5 GOP-favored map. Democrats argued that the maps proposed by Republicans were drawn in a way to favor the GOP.
“This is a proposal I’m bringing forward. I think it addresses what the court wanted to do and I stand ready to hear those at this moment, later tonight, tomorrow morning, whenever the commission would meet,” said Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima.
The map will be filed with the Ohio Secretary of State in advance of the May 3 congressional primary. But advocates for fair congressional districts are expected to file objections to the map in the coming days in hopes that the Ohio Supreme Court would rule the map unconstitutional. The court previously ruled that a map, which would have given the GOP an edge in 12 out of 15 seats, was unconstitutional.
