Ohio redistricting map draws bipartisan support but deep concern

By Farah Siddiqi

Ohio’s newly approved congressional map is stirring controversy, even after receiving unanimous support from both parties on the state’s Redistricting Commission.

The seven-member panel voted last week to adopt the map which will shape elections through 2030, a decision advocates said locks in partisan advantages and undermines voter trust.

Spencer Dirrig, vice president of government affairs for the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund, said the outcome reflects deep flaws in how the maps are drawn.

"Democrats and Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission came to a unanimous bipartisan deal that is both an unconstitutional gerrymander that fundamentally silences the voices of Ohioans and denies us the opportunity to have fair representation," Dirrig contended.

The seven-member commission includes five Republicans and two Democrats. The new map will apply to Ohio’s 15 congressional districts for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections.

Dirrig pointed out Democrats agreed to the plan under pressure to avoid an even more extreme outcome.

"Republicans came to Democrats and said if they didn't come to an agreement, they would force through an extreme gerrymander that might result in as many as 14 Republican members of Congress out of 15 from the state of Ohio," Dirrig asserted.

Dirrig argued the compromise may be the “best of bad options,” but it highlighted why reform advocates want to remove politicians from the process altogether. Supporters of redistricting reform are now urging Gov. Mike DeWine to follow through on his promise to pursue a constitutional amendment ensuring truly independent and representative maps for Ohio voters.

Reporting by Ohio News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.