Ohio Democrats Introduce Congressional Redistricting Proposal – Cleveland Scene

Ohio Democratic lawmakers have introduced their preferred congressional redistricting plan, which they say creates more competitive districts across the state.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio and House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, flanked by several other state Democrats, presented their plan, which reduces the current Republican majority, but still leaves Democrats in the minority.

“What we have proposed follows the law and gives voters the voice they deserve in their congressional representation,” Isaacsohn said.

The congressional redraw is required of Ohio this year, because of a lack of bipartisan agreement on the last map, adopted in March 2022.

Both congressional maps previously adopted by the legislature were also struck down as unconstitutionally partisan by the Ohio Supreme Court, though the most recent map stayed in place despite the court ruling.

Right now, Republicans control 10 out of 15 of Ohio’s U.S. Congressional seats, or 66% of the seats. In 2024, Ohioans supported Donald Trump with 55% of the vote.

In the Democrat’s newest map proposal, the districts would have a breakdown of eight Republican and seven Democratic seats, in what Antonio called “the fairest redistricting proposal that either party has put forward.”

That breakdown would leave Republicans with control of 53% of seats compared to 47% for Democrats.

The Ohio General Assembly has until the end of the month to come up with a congressional redistricting plan that must receive 66% approval in both chambers of the legislature.

In order to be approved, the plan must have the support of half the Democrats in the Ohio House and Senate.

If the legislature can’t come to the bipartisan agreement they need by the end of the month, the Ohio Redistricting Commission will be reactivated. The commission has until the end of October to come to bipartisan agreement.

If they reach a stalemate, the process moves back to the legislature, who can then pass maps with a simple majority. Without bipartisan agreement, the legislature will have to redraw the maps again in another four years.

Democratic leaders have already pledged to act as a united front when it comes to pushing the Republican supermajority for maps that are fair to both parties, and maps that align with the voting trends of the state. Those voting trends lean Republican at 55%-44% in an average of statewide elections over the past 10 years.

The Senate leader said the new proposal has seven seats that “lean slightly to the left” and the other eight seats “lean toward the right.”

The biggest Republican majority in the proposed map is District 4 in Northwest Ohio, which would have a 75% Republican majority. District 2 in Southwest Ohio would have a 70% Republican majority.

On the other side of the aisle, the most Democratic district would be District 11, which includes Cleveland, with a 74% Democratic majority. District 3, which includes southern Franklin County would have a 64% Democratic majority.

“This map does not unduly favor or disfavor any party or incumbent,” Antonio said. “Those are the rules.”

Antonio and House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn said they are open to working together with Republicans, but put their map up in an effort to get the process started, when Republicans have not made moves to introduce a map or start the public hearing process for congressional redistricting.

“If our colleagues, the Republicans, are committed to bipartisanship, then they must join in the urgency and pass a fair, constitutional plan by the end of the month,” Antonio said.

Antonio and Isaacsohn have previously said they are anticipating “another opportunity to gerrymander the districts” from Republicans.

Ohio’s Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno has made comments hoping Republicans would give an 80% Republican lean to congressional districts in the state, taking 12 of 15 seats. Moreno won his seat in 2024 with just slightly over 50% of the vote.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Antonio said state Democrats have been in contact with congressional Democrats, but only to talk about the process, not to ask about district preferences.

But Democratic leaders are remaining positive despite the Republican supermajority that could run out the clock on the process.

Ohio’s legislative Republicans not only have a majority in both chambers of the legislature, but they also have a majority in the Ohio Redistricting Commission should the process come to that.

Even if Democrats in the state wanted to take a play out of Texas Democrats’ playbooks and leave the state, Republicans would still have a quorum on the commission.

“If you don’t act, if you don’t propose change, then you have no possibility of ever seeing any kind of change, any kind of progress,” Antonio said.

As the legislature considers their own proposals, the public has the ability to submit their own maps for consideration, which many citizens have already done.

While the Democrats initial plan did not take into account the public proposals already submitted, Antonio said they are “going to consider everything.”

Asked for comment on the Democrat map, the press secretary for the House Majority caucus said “given the process is still in its early stages, the Ohio House Majority will not be commenting on any specific maps at this time.”

A spokesperson for the Ohio Senate Majority did not respond to a request for comment.Originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal. Republished here with permission.

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