Two federal judges picked unconstitutional state House and Senate maps to use in 2022, but the state has no district maps for 2024 and beyond.
At least two Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission want to wait until after the November election to craft new districts – even though the Ohio Supreme Court has ordered them to get to work now.
“Adopting yet another new plan immediately before an impending election will do nothing but continue to sow confusion among Ohioans,” wrote Rep. Jeff LaRe, R-Violet Township, in a letter to Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron. Both are co-chairs of the Ohio Redistricting Commission.
Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, backed that approach, saying in a statement: “Now is not the time to confuse Ohioans any more than they currently are. And since any plan that we adopt will not be effective until an election that is two years away, we should not rush to produce a plan under a highly constrained time frame.”
Sykes says voters are confused for a different reason.
“What has been primarily sowing confusion among Ohio voters is the majority’s refusal to adopt constitutional fair maps,” Sykes said. “It is unfortunate that we have not come to an agreement on constitutional maps, but we will continue the struggle.”
Ohioans will vote Aug. 2 on state House and Senate races using maps that two federal judges selected. Ohioans will foot the $20 million bill for the second primary, which is expected to have a low turnout. Meanwhile, Democrats hoping to run in those races filed lawsuits to get on the ballot.
LaRe’s letter was sent after the Commission missed an Ohio Supreme Court-imposed deadline to pass new legislative maps. It’s not clear what repercussions, if any, the commission will face for missing that deadline. The court has repeatedly declined to hold a hearing on whether members should be held in contempt.
Another effect of waiting is Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor’s term on the Ohio Supreme Court ends on Dec. 31. Considered the swing vote in redistricting decisions, the Republican justice has repeatedly rejected GOP-drawn maps as unconstitutional gerrymandering.
Republican Justice Sharon Kennedy and Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner are running to replace O’Connor. Democrats are also challenging two incumbent Republican justices in what’s expected to be an expensive fight for control of the court.
Meanwhile, the current Ohio Supreme Court is reviewing the state’s congressional map, which was used in the May 3 primary.
Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.