Ohio’s district map is lopsided. However, the current redistricting season provides the state a chance to fix the problem. This article published by Cincinnati | The Enquirer, is written by Cecil Thomas, opinion contributor. Here is an excerpt:
While the results of Ohio’s elections throughout the past decade have leaned toward the right, the outcomes of state legislature and congressional races can’t be explained by a narrow margin or gradual trend. Instead, the lopsided results can be attributed to gerrymandered districts – an issue that our state finally has the opportunity to fix this year.
The maps drawn under cover of night in a hotel room by Republican operatives in 2011 led to Republicans Steve Chabot and Brad Wenstrup being elected to represent Cincinnati, rather than Democrats Kate Schroder and Jaime Castle. Schroder had won the city with more than 80% of the votes, and Castle won by a margin of nearly 2-to-1. This trend persists throughout Ohio. In the Statehouse, where I represent the entire city as state senator, Republicans hold the supermajority – monopolizing power in both the Ohio House (66-33) and Ohio Senate (25-8) – despite winning only about 55% of the votes across the state.
Ohioans approved two constitutional amendments to improve this lopsided system, first in 2015 and again in 2018. These amendments created rules for a fairer system by setting deadlines and bipartisan benchmarks for the map-drawing process. The amendments made the process more transparent to the public – no more secret hotel bunkers for Columbus and D.C. powerbrokers to decide who will represent the people. Ohioans demanded reform because they understand that fairness and cooperation are more productive than secrecy and partisan bickering.
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