The Ohio Republican Party and Governor Mike DeWine both announced opposition on Wednesday to a proposed constitutional amendment that would amend Ohio’s constitution by rewriting redistricting rules.
Every 10 years after the U.S. Census, the Ohio Redistricting Commission – comprised of seven members – is tasked with redrawing Ohio’s 99 House districts and 33 Senate districts to reflect the most recent census results.
The commission was created by an amendment to the Ohio Constitution, which was approved by 71 percent of Ohio voters in November 2015.
The proposed constitutional amendment, however, would replace the Ohio Redistricting Commission by creating the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission. Proponents of this commission say it will ensure an “open and transparent process and fair outcomes that preserve the political power inherent in the people.”
According to its 33-page proposal filed with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office last year, the constitutional amendment would “replace the current politician-run redistricting process with a citizen-led commission required to create fair state legislative and congressional districts through a more open and independent system.”
The new commission would comprise 15 members – five Democrats, five Republicans, and five independents – and would not allow current or former elected officials from serving on the commission.
The proposal will be presented to Ohio voters on the November 5 general election ballot as Issue 1.
If the redistricting amendment on the ballot in November were to be adopted, Ohio would end up with a system that mandates map drawers to produce gerrymandered districts. Ohio would have gerrymandering in the extreme. We must defeat this misguided ballot initiative because there… pic.twitter.com/FEo3GawjcZ
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 31, 2024
DeWine, during a news conference on Wednesday morning, expressed strong opposition to the proposal.
“There will be an amendment on this fall’s ballot to change the Ohio constitution in a way proponents say will end gerrymandering in Ohio. It doesn’t,” DeWine said.
“If this ballot proposal were to be adopted, Ohio would actually end up with a system that mandates and compels map drawers to produce gerrymandered districts. In fact, Ohio would have gerrymandering in the extreme,” DeWine added.
DeWine, who said Ohio must “put an end to gerrymandering,” said the state must “take politics completely out of the drawing of the maps.”
The governor went on to suggest that Ohio adopt a redistricting plan similar to one adopted in Iowa many years ago, which prohibits map drawers from using past voting data to redraw districts and avoids the splitting of political subdivisions.
“Ohio must have a constitutional provision that instructs the map makers that they cannot consider past voting data that the map drawers know will lead to a predetermined partisan outcome. Maps should be drawn based on population, with no consideration of past partisan voting patterns,” DeWine said.
"Issue 1 is based on the flawed concept of proportionality and would enshrine gerrymandering in the Ohio Constitution, undermining representative democracy by allowing a small group of unaccountable commissioners to predetermine the political control of congressional and…
— Jon Husted (@JonHusted) July 31, 2024
Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted agreed with DeWine, arguing that the proposed constitutional amendment is “based on the flawed concept of proportionality and would enshrine gerrymandering in the Ohio Constitution, undermining representative democracy by allowing a small group of unaccountable commissioners to predetermine the political control of congressional and legislative districts without competitive elections.”
“The idea of proportionality sounds fair in the same way socialism sounds fair—it completely ignores merit and thwarts competition in favor of predetermined outcomes,” Husted added.
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou also announced the party’s opposition to the proposal, calling it a “shameful effort” that “misleads voters into thinking Issue 1 eliminates gerrymandering when in fact this amendment will guarantee that political and racial gerrymandering occurs.”
“This bait-and-switch scheme will select people that are not accountable to voters to draw maps with a specific outcome in mind. It is a horrible amendment that will disenfranchise African-American voters, just like the failed Michigan commission that is the Ohio amendment’s model,” Triantafilou said.
“I encourage every Ohioan to take a hard look at this bad amendment and reject the Democrats’ plan to strip everyday Ohioans of their important role in choosing how Ohio draws legislative districts,” Triantafilou added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Mike DeWine” by Mike DeWine.
