With a vote by the Ohio House and Senate pending this week on redrawing the lines of Ohio's Congressional Districts, a proposed map shows that Highland County would be part of a 14-county district that includes portions of Franklin County.
The proposed district, which would be represented by Republican Steve Stivers of Upper Arlington, would include Highland, northern Ross County, and all or portions of Vinton, Hocking, Athens, Morgan, Perry, Muskingum, Madison, Clark, Union and Franklin counties.
Ohio lost two Congressional districts following the 2010 census, due to slow population growth.
Highland County is currently in Ohio's Third Congressional District, represented by Congressman Mike Turner (R-Centerville). The Third District includes Highland, Clinton and potions of Montgomery and Warren counties.
"Republicans would lose a seat with the combination of districts held by Republicans Steve Austria of Beavercreek and Mike Turner of Centerville, forcing the two to face off in a primary. That new district would include all or parts of Montgomery, Greene, Fayette, Pickaway and Fairfield counties," according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The filing deadline to run for the March primary election is Dec. 7.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, "Franklin County is currently split among three congressional districts, all Republican-controlled. Stivers’ 15th district has been highly competitive in recent elections, and Tiberi also has had to fend off credible challengers in the 12th district, though his victories have been by wider margins.
With a vote by the Ohio House and Senate pending this week on redrawing the lines of Ohio's Congressional Districts, a proposed map shows that Highland County would be part of a 14-county district that includes portions of Franklin County.
The proposed district, most of which is now represented by Republican Steve Stivers of Upper Arlington, would include Highland, northern Ross County, and all or portions of Vinton, Hocking, Athens, Morgan, Perry, Muskingum, Madison, Clark, Union and Franklin counties.
It places Highland County in the southwest corner of a horseshoe-shaped district. Other than a portion of Ross County to the east, all of Highland County's neighboring counties are in other districts in this proposal.
Ohio lost two Congressional districts following the 2010 census, due to slow population growth.
Highland County is currently in Ohio's Third Congressional District, represented by Congressman Mike Turner (R-Centerville). The Third District includes Highland, Clinton and portions of Montgomery and Warren counties.
"Republicans would lose a seat with the combination of districts held by Republicans Steve Austria of Beavercreek and Mike Turner of Centerville, forcing the two to face off in a primary. That new district would include all or parts of Montgomery, Greene, Fayette, Pickaway and Fairfield counties," according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The filing deadline to run for the March primary election is Dec. 7.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, "Franklin County is currently split among three congressional districts, all Republican-controlled. Stivers’ 15th district has been highly competitive in recent elections, and Tiberi also has had to fend off credible challengers in the 12th district, though his victories have been by wider margins.
Highland County Democratic Party Chairperson Dinah Phillips said that those who are redrawing the districts are not paying attention to the needs of constituents.
"You've got to place the counties in a continuous area so that they have something in common," Phillips said. "It was the same way placing us with Montgomery County (the last time the districts were redrawn). What did we have in common with Montgomery County? We're a rural, agricultural area trying to get a little bit of big business. They're an industrial town. We aren't. I was afraid they were going to do this to us again, this gerrymandering districts in order to carve out their own little strongholds."
Phillips said that gerrymandering is something that is done by both Republicans and Democrats alike, but ultimately it's not fair to the people.
"It's not fair to the people who they're supposed to be representing," Phillips said. "We have nothing in common with the big industrial cities, and even the people. Their needs are not the same as the needs we have. We get overshadowed by the congressmen who represent the big district, which are composed of the large counties. They have more people, and therefore they tend to gravitate toward what those people need, and ignore us."
Phillips said that she hopes that since the map is just a proposal, that there will be more work done, although she said the districts have been strategically drawn.
"I think the people suffer, and that is my main concern, that we don't get our fair share of the pie, our fair share of the representation," Phillips said. "It all goes to the urban areas and we get lost in the shuffle."
The committee is scheduled to vote on the matter Wednesday, with a possible House vote Friday.
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