Ohio Approves New Electoral Map, Boosting GOP Influence in Two Districts

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On Friday, both Ohio Democrats and Republicans cast their votes in favor of a new congressional map, which is expected to give GOP candidates a strategic advantage in two significant districts.

The Ohio Redistricting Commission crafted the map without seeking public opinion, and it was approved unanimously. This map is set to remain effective until the year 2030.

This redistricting could pose challenges for Democratic Representatives Greg Landsman and Marcy Kaptur in their reelection bids. Notably, Kaptur narrowly secured her seat in 2024, a year when she was a primary target for the GOP, winning by a margin of less than one percentage point.

Interestingly, The Columbus Dispatch reports that Ohio Democrats supported the map because it is likely to protect Rep. Emilia Sykes, who serves the Akron area, while also keeping a Cincinnati seat competitive.

Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican, remarked that the finalized map could result in a 12-3 Republican advantage, suggesting that his party should be pleased with this outcome.

“For Republicans who might not like this (outcome), I would simply say that this very well could be a 12-3 map. Those are pretty darn good numbers,” DeWine told reporters, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Republicans currently hold 10 of the 15 congressional seats in Ohio, according to The Associated Press.

Because the map is a deal between the two parties, Democrats are giving up any chance to chalenge the map in 2026.

“It resolves it, and I think lessens the chance that there might be a referendum that our side might lose,” DeWine.

Voter advocacy groups have raised concerns with the swift approval of new congressional districts.

“It’s clear by their actions today that the politicians on the Ohio Redistricting Commission don’t care about voters or good government. They only care about their own power,” Jen Miller, president of the League of Women Voters Ohio said in a statement.

“The public was shut out, the process rigged, and incumbents favored. The resulting Congressional map still doesn’t reflect the will of the voters of Ohio. Republican and Democratic voters feel like their parties sold them out-and they’re both right,” she added.

The organization and other groups had previously been pushing for a ballot measure that would have allowed constituents to have influence over map making.

Now, Ohio joins Missouri, Texas and North Carolina in approving redrawn lines ahead of mid-term elections.