Ohio

Ohio Redistricting Commission Unanimously Approves New Congressional Map with Implications for the Mid-Decade Push

By EditorOct 31, 20250 Comments

Ohio’s seven-member Redistricting Commission voted unanimously today to approve a new congressional map that will govern the state’s 15 U.S. House districts starting with the 2026 election cycle. The bipartisan deal preserves a GOP advantage and could shift the balance from the current 10-5 split to something closer to 12-3. Commissioners from both parties backed the plan to meet the Oct. 31 constitutional deadline and avoid sending map-drawing back to the legislature. Why a new map was required: under Ohio’s 2018 reform (Article XIX), the 2021 congressional map was adopted without the required bipartisan supermajority, authorizing it to govern only…

Ohio, Strategy and PoliticsLatest, mid-decade redistricting, Ohio, ohio redistricting commission, policyindepth

Ohio’s Continuing Redistricting Saga: Here’s an Update on the Congressional Map

By EditorJul 07, 2025

Redistricting in Ohio has been a complex, multifaceted, litigious marvel of line-drawing politics. Here is a timeline and some procedural background about the ongoing struggle with Ohio's congressional redistricting, including what's next. In Ohio, congressional redistricting follows a multi-step process. Initially, the state legislature can adopt a new congressional district map with a three-fifths supermajority vote, comprising at least half of the minority party members. If the legislature fails to act, a seven-member commission takes over, composed of elected officials and legislative appointees. If the commission also fails, the legislature gets a second chance, requiring a three-fifths vote with one-third…

Ohio, Partisan GerrymanderingLatest, Ohio, ohio redistricting commission, policyindepth

Watch: Former Chief Senate Legal Counsel Discusses the Status of Ohio’s Redistricting Map Saga on “The State of Ohio” Program

By EditorSep 01, 2023

Last Friday, The State of Ohio weekly news program discussed gerrymandering reform and the status of redistricting maps in the State with Frank Strigari, former Chief Legal Counsel for the Ohio Senate. The discussion starts at 6:44. Find us on:

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OH Supreme Court Rejects Ohio Commission Maps for a 2nd Time. Describes Their Efforts as “Misguided.”

By EditorFeb 07, 2022

The Ohio Supreme Court on Monday rejected a 2nd revised map of state Senate and House districts drawn by the Ohio Redistricting Commission. The first map was invalidated by the court on Jan 12. The latest maps, adopted by the commission on Jan. 22nd, still violate state constitutional provisions prohibiting maps that favor any one political party according to the court. The commission must adopt a 3rd plan and file it with the court by February 18, 2022. Read the order here. The court interprets the state constitution's proportionality standard to mean that any map should reflect the average voting…

Case Updates, Casedocs, LATEST, LAW, NEWS, Redistricting, Redistricting Commissions, Redistricting Criteria, Redistricting Litigation, State Lawslawindepth, lpstatelaw, Ohio, partisan gerrymandering, STATENEWS

Redistricting Headlines Jan 24, 2022: Ohio Commission Adopts New Maps Under Court Ordered Wire. 3 New Lawsuits Filed in 3 States.

By EditorJan 24, 2022

Last week was a busy one in the states for redistricting. It brought two new sets of maps and three lawsuits. The Ohio Redistricting Commission adopted a 2nd set of Senate and House maps by a 5-2 vote on Jan 22. The maps will be effective only for a 4-yr period (as opposed to the usual 10) because the map did not pass with the requisite bipartisan support required under state law. On Jan 14th the state Supreme Court invalidated Ohio's 2021 congressional map, giving the commission just 10 days to adopt another. The Connecticut Reapportionment failed to meet its deadline to…

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In One-Two Punch, Ohio Supreme Court Invalidates New Congressional Map Just 2 Days After Striking House and Senate Districts

By EditorJan 15, 2022

On Friday, the Ohio State Supreme Court announced its decision to invalidate the Republican-drawn 2021 congressional map, explaining that it "stacks the deck" against the opposite party. Voters in 2018 amended the state's constitution to prohibit excessive partisan map-drawing and the court concluded that the new map was a product of just that. Read the opinion and excerpts below. The now invalidated map had failed to pass the legislature by a supermajority vote and thus under the constitution, it would have only been in effect for 4 years. With the court's ruling on Friday, the legislature will have 30 days…

Case Updates, Casedocs, LATEST, NEWS, Redistricting, Redistricting Litigationlawindepth, lpstatelaw, Ohio, STATENEWS

Ohio Supreme Court Invalidates 2021 Senate and House Maps. Gives Commission 10 Days to Draw New Maps

By EditorJan 12, 2022

On Wednesday, Jan. 12th, The Ohio Supreme Court invalidated Republican-drawn state House and Senate district maps as partisan gerrymandering under the Ohio Constitution. The justices struck down the maps in a 4-3 decision, sending the maps back to the Commission with just a 10-day window to redraw the maps. Read the opinion below. "We hold that the plan is invalid because the commission did not attempt to draw a plan that meets the proportionality standard in Article XI, Section 6(B). We also conclude that the commission did not attempt to draw a plan that meets the standard in Section 6(A)—that…

Case Updates, Casedocs, LATEST, LAW, NEWS, Partisan Gerrymandering, Redistricting, Redistricting Gerrymanders, Redistricting Litigation, State Lawslawindepth, lpstatelaw, Ohio, partisan gerrymandering, STATENEWS

Ohio Republicans Release Proposed Congressional Map 2 Weeks before Deadline

By EditorNov 16, 2021

Senate Republicans in Ohio have released a proposed congressional map that may be voted on this week. The deadline to adopt a map is Nov 30 and it is not entirely clear whether the map will receive the requisite amount of votes to ensure it lasts 10 years. According to Ohio law, at least 60% of lawmakers in each chamber and 33% of the minority party (Democrats), must vote to adopt the map. Without this supermajority, the map would only be in force for 4 years if it were to pass. View the map and media coverage below. Ohio Republicans…

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Ohio Redistricting Maps Attract 3 Partisan Gerrymandering Lawsuits in 4 Days. Read Them Here.

By EditorSep 29, 2021

The recently passed Ohio State redistricting maps have so far drawn three lawsuits; each of them claiming the map is a brazen partisan gerrymander. Here is a look at all three complaints. The first lawsuit was filed by the ACLU on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Ohio and the Ohio chapter of the African American trade union group the A. Philip Randolph Institute, as well as a group of individual Ohio voters. Read the complaint here. The second lawsuit filed is backed by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's National Redistricting Action Fund, the 501(c)4 of the…

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Ohio Redistricting Commission Maps Challenged in State Supreme Court as “Brazen” Partisan Gerrymander

By EditorSep 24, 2021

On Thursday, a lawsuit was filed by the ACLU on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Ohio and the Ohio chapter of the African American trade union group the A. Philip Randolph Institute, as well as a group of individual Ohio voters, challenging the state house and senate maps adopted by the Ohio Redistricting Commission last week. The commission adopted the maps on a 5-2 party-line vote with Republican members voting in favor of the map. The lawsuit alleges the map is a clear partisan gerrymander that violates provisions of the state constitution requiring that districts not be…

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