GOP leaders speak out against redistricting proposal
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Ohio Republican Party chairman Alex M. Triantafilou issued comments on the proposed redistricting ballot initiative Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, Governor DeWine held a press conference where he delivered remarks and took questions from media, expressing his strong opposition to the proposed ballot initiative on redistricting.
"If this amendment were to be adopted, Ohio would actually end up with a system that mandates – that compels – map drawers to produce gerrymandered districts," said Governor DeWine in his remarks. "In fact, Ohio would have gerrymandering in the extreme."
Governor DeWine's “As Prepared for Delivery” remarks, as well as sample maps he referenced in his remarks that produced gerrymandered districts in efforts to make them proportional, are available via the following links:
• Governor DeWine's As Prepared Remarks (PDF); and
Lt. Governor Husted issued the following statement on the issue of congressional and legislative redistricting and the proposed constitutional amendment on the fall ballot:
"Issue 1 is based on the flawed concept of proportionality and would enshrine gerrymandering in the Ohio Constitution, undermining representative democracy by allowing a small group of unaccountable commissioners to predetermine the political control of congressional and legislative districts without competitive elections.
"The idea of proportionality sounds fair in the same way socialism sounds fair—it completely ignores merit and thwarts competition in favor of predetermined outcomes.
"By definition, proportionality will set a fixed number of heavily Republican or Democratic districts, largely eliminating competitive general elections. This violates the goal of any rational redistricting proposal, which should keep communities together and allow for as many competitive districts as possible. Issue 1’s flawed concept of proportionality would be embedded in the Ohio Constitution, forcing Ohioans to accept a fixed number of heavily partisan districts.
"Issue 1 will lead to gerrymandered districts that do not accurately reflect the natural political landscape of communities where people with common values choose to live and desire representation by people who will represent their values.
"As I have long advocated, Ohio would be best served by a redistricting system that keeps communities together and creates as many competitive districts as possible, enabling voters to choose the most capable representatives rather than having election outcomes predetermined.
"For these reasons, Ohioans should vote NO on Issue 1 and demand a proposal that would keep our communities together and allow for competitive general elections in Ohio."
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Following Governor DeWine's press conference regarding the current redistricting proposal, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Triantafilou released the following statement:
"Not long ago, Ohio voters banded together in a bipartisan fashion to approve a redistricting process that focused on keeping communities together, established safeguards against gerrymandering, and ensured the Ohio Redistricting Commission was accountable to the people of Ohio.
“Now, radical Democrat front groups are trying to take away those safeguards and make Ohio’s Constitution require gerrymandering of legislative maps by advocating for Issue 1. This bait-and-switch scheme will select people that are not accountable to voters to draw maps with a specific outcome in mind. It is a horrible amendment that will disenfranchise African-American voters, just like the failed Michigan commission that is the Ohio amendment’s model.
“This shameful effort misleads voters into thinking Issue 1 eliminates gerrymandering when in fact this amendment will guarantee that political and racial gerrymandering occurs. I encourage every Ohioan to take a hard look at this bad amendment and reject the Democrats' plan to strip everyday Ohioans of their important role in choosing how Ohio draws legislative districts."
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