The Ohio Democratic Party is considering “everything,” from a fight in the courts to a referendum on the ballot, over the new Congressional map yet to be drawn by the GOP-majority Ohio legislature.
“We’re here today, because while Texas may have been first, Ohio is next,” Chair Kathleen Clyde said Thursday during an online joint news conference with the Texas Democratic Party.
There, Democratic state lawmakers fled over two weeks, under threats of arrest, to stave off a vote on a new Congressional map. By doing so, they successfully broke quorum and halted business, since two-thirds of all members of the Texas Legislature are required to do almost anything. But in the Ohio General Assembly, it’s 50%—meaning Democrats aren’t needed to move legislation, taking that off the table.
“We have another number of options before us,” Clyde said. “We will fight. We will organize. We will make noise at every step of the process. We have options at the ballot and we have options in court.”
Ohio was already due for a mid-decade redraw of its Congressional map because of 2018 reforms to law, but now, the state is another one President Donald Trump and national Republicans are eyeing for more friendly seats. Democrats could lose as many as three of their five seats in the state, a worst-case map for them.
Among the districts to watch are Democratic Reps. Marcy Kaptur’s (OH-9) and Emilia Sykes’s (OH-13), both of whom national Republicans are targeting. Kaptur won by less than 1% in 2024.
The broad-based, left-lean Equal Districts Coalition launched its own effort last week, with members that range from religious leaders to abortion rights and environmental activists. If Equal Districts believes this fall’s redraw is not fair, members have also floated a referendum.
The Ohio Constitution requires 60% of state lawmakers to pass a redistricting plan by the end of next month. If they fail to do that, the Ohio Redistricting Commission will take over. The commission, which would include seven politicians and skew heavily Republican, faces a final deadline in November.
“I’ve not had really any recent conversations with either of the leaders,” Gov. Mike DeWine said last week. “I’m sure I will in the future. I’ve been focused on a few other things.”
Last November, voters defeated Issue 1, which would have thrown out the current redistricting system by installing an independent commission.
