Ohio Supreme Court Again Tosses Out Congressional District Map
A split Ohio Supreme Court has struck down the 15-district congressional map that was used for the May primary and will be in place for the November general election.
In a 42-page ruling, the majority said the second attempt at a congressional map passed by Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission in March "unduly favors the Republican Party and disfavors the Democratic Party." The court ordered a new map within 30 days. The first map was rejected in January.
The split among the justices was as it's been throughout the redistricting saga. Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, a Republican, joined the court's three Democrats: Jennifer Brunner, Melody Stewart and Michael Donnelly. The court's three other Republicans — Sharon Kennedy, Pat DeWine and Pat Fischer — dissented.
The decision said the map "creates just three seats with Democratic vote shares over 52 percent (and one of those is at 52.15 percent). By contrast, all the Republican-leaning seats comfortably favor Republican candidates."
"Ohioans are suffering the consequences of unconstitutional state legislative and Congressional district maps. Extremism in Ohio is the new normal while issues that ensure Ohio is a great place to live, raise and family and work are not addressed in a consistent way," said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga. "It's time the Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Commission start working with the Democrats to pass fair and Constitutional maps."