Former President Donald Trump has come out against a proposed constitutional amendment in Ohio that would change the state’s redistricting process set to be presented to voters on the November 5 general election ballot as Issue 1.
The proposed amendment, called the Citizens Not Politicians Amendment, would replace the current Ohio Redistricting Commission to instead create a new commission that would not be composed of current or former elected officials.
Thank you Mr. President! Issue 1 is a scam to put gerrymandering INTO our state constitution! Vote NO on Issue 1. Stop 🛑 gerrymandering in Ohio! pic.twitter.com/plxnZ2hZeQ
— Alex Triantafilou (@ChairmanAlex) September 21, 2024
Republicans in Ohio have warned that such changes to the state’s redistricting rules proposed by the referendum would not end gerrymandered districts.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine went as far to say that the proposal would lead to “gerrymandering in the extreme.”
Trump agreed, as on Saturday he wrote in a Trust Social post, “Issue 1 would guarantee that unqualified redistricting commissioners are not accountable to Ohio voters, and would be impossible to remove them if they abuse their power[.]”
The former president went on to urge voters in Ohio to vote against the proposal on the general election ballot.
“Issue 1 will cost Ohio taxpayers millions of dollars, and would force the State to pay redistricting commission lawyers unlimited legal expenses, with no accountability,” Trump added. “Ohio voters need to stop this Democrat takeover of legislative redistricting. Vote No on Issue 1. Stop the Steal!”
The Ohio Republican Party applauded Trump for speaking out against the ballot measure, with the group’s chairman, Alex Triantafiliu, adding that if passed, the “scam” would “put gerrymandering into our state constitution.”
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who, as chairman of the Ohio Ballot Board, approved of the language describing the proposal voters will see on the ballot, also thanked Trump for speaking out against the measure.
“Issue 1 is nothing more than a Democrat power grab that will require gerrymandering so liberal billionaires can take over Congress and Ohio’s legislature,” LaRose said. “Thank you President Trump for speaking out against this dangerous amendment.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Donald Trump” by Donald Trump.
