Organizers scoff after Ohio Redistricting Commission meeting. (Photo: Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.)
About two dozen activists showed up at Tuesday’s Ohio Redistricting Commission meeting wearing purple T-shirts that read “Where’s the map?”
About half an hour later, the committee adjourned the meeting, with little progress toward a response.
Viewers jeered: “Shame,” “So much for the constitution,” “Do your thing,” and “Represent us.”
Minority leaders Sen. Nickie Antonio and Rep. Dani Isaacsohn argued passionately for their map during the hearing. Antonio reminded the commissioners that the exploit of the word “shall” in the constitution meant that it was their responsibility to approve the map, not just a suggestion. While both Democrats praised their proposal, they insisted they were open to others.
“But we have not yet received any alternative map or even a substantive suggestion for alternatives to the proposal we have presented,” Isaacsohn said.
The Democrats’ offer was not appreciated by Republicans. Committee co-chairman Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, insisted that another hearing be held as required by the constitution, but did not commit to a counterproposal.
“I think if there is an agreement, you will see a map at this stage,” Stewart said. “But I don’t think so. I don’t know what the point is in just releasing a map that doesn’t have the support of a committee for approval.”
For the commission to approve the map, it needs the support of a majority of the commission’s seven members, with at least two votes from each political party. If the commission doesn’t adopt the map, the process returns to the General Assembly, where state lawmakers could then approve the redistricting plan with a straightforward majority.
Democrat map
Ohio’s current congressional delegation is split 10-5 between Republicans and Democrats. Antonio argued that it was because the map was a bit too generous to Republicans.
“We looked at statewide election results over the last 10 years and found that, on average, Ohio voted 45% of the time Democrat and 55% of the time Republican,” she said.
Using these results as a guide, Democrats created a map with “seven districts tilted slightly to the left and eight districts tilted slightly to the right,” Antonio says.
She noted that their proposal is more compact than the current map, minimizes county divisions and keeps communities together.
“In every respect,” she said, “our proposal is better than the current map.”
The map, she added, was approved by Republicans despite opposition from the state Supreme Court.
But even if the proposal is in line with voters’ recent preferences across the state, it’s not particularly surprising that Republicans balked at the prospect of losing three congressional seats.
Under the Democrats’ proposal, three of those left-wing seats are tossed, but one of those tossed seats is currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Max Miller. Another, held by the Democratic Rep. USA Marcy Kaptur, would go from slightly favoring Republicans to slightly favoring Democrats. Elsewhere, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Carey’s district would become comfortably Democratic.
Antonio rejected the idea that Democrats were using the opportunity to manipulate gerry land themselves. Instead, she suggested Republicans oppose it “because it returns power to the people” and “better reflects” their voting patterns.
Isaacsohn was more explicit in his criticism of the current congressional map.
“In a state where just over half of voters vote Republican, having 11 of 15 districts favor one party is a rigged map,” he said.
Isaacsohn drew a straight line from the map of Ohio that he believes is tilted in favor of Republicans and the current government shutdown.
“This is the only explanation,” he said, for members of Congress who risk closing rural hospitals, skyrocketing health care premiums or degenerating SNAP payments.
“This is the cost of a government that is not representative in competitive elections,” he insisted.
Republicans respond
In a speech after the hearing, Gov. Mike DeWine was undecided about the likelihood of commissioners reaching an agreement on a redistricting plan.
“Private discussions are ongoing,” he said. “We hope we can do something, but we don’t know yet.”
DeWine briefly responded on whether he thought commissioners would reach an agreement before the constitutional deadline of Oct. 31.
“I don’t know,” DeWine said. “I really don’t know.”
Meanwhile, Stewart rejected the argument that the commission must follow the map. Redistricting is a three-phase process, he said, starting with the General Assembly, through the commission and then back again if officials can’t reach a bipartisan consensus.
“If I give you a menu and say you choose fish, or you choose chicken, or you choose steak, choosing steak does not mean not choosing fish,” he said.
Stewart also tried to put the onus on Democrats to reach a deal, even though the minority party was the only one to put forward such a proposal.
“I think the ball is kind of in the Democrats’ court when it comes to deciding what deal they want or don’t want to take,” he said.
Stewart noted that he was not involved in the negotiations, but “you don’t have to squint” to see the outlines of an agreement.
Pressed further, he suggested that Republicans wanted to talk about the three most competitive districts – all currently represented by Democrats.
“I think without a doubt the Toledo, Akron and Cincinnati races are probably the most hotly contested races,” he said. “I don’t think I’m giving away any secrets to political reporters that these are probably the places that are talked about the most when we talk about whether there will be a deal.”
This week Punchbowl News reported U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries looks at the redistricting process in Ohio. If Republicans run out of committee time and then pass a party-line map to the General Assembly, Jeffries declined to raise money for a referendum.
“You know, Democrats did just that,” Stewart said, referring to 2024 redistricting voting reform. “And the people of Ohio said no.”
“I think be careful what you ask for when you hold a referendum in a state that Donald Trump won by 12 points,” he added.
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