Ohio’s bipartisan redistricting commission approved a new congressional map Friday, giving Republicans a measured win in the national redistricting battle.
The map, passed unanimously by the commission, gives the GOP a better opportunity to flip two seats; Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s district — which President Donald Trump won by about 7 points in 2024 — was made even redder, and Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman’s seat became Republican-leaning, while still likely competitive in 2026.
Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes’ district was also made slightly more blue, and some Republican-held seats got nominally redder.
The congressional delegation is currently split between 10 Republicans and five Democrats. A best-case scenario for Republicans would likely result in a 12-3 breakdown.
Republicans in Ohio opted to reach the agreement with commission Democrats instead of going through the GOP-controlled Legislature. Should a map have been passed by lawmakers, which likely would have resulted in a 13-2 map, a potential ballot referendum could have blocked it for 2026.
This path ensures the new map will take effect in the midterms.
Shortly after the commission’s meeting, both Sykes and Kaptur said publicly they would still seek reelection. Kaptur, who has represented her northwestern Ohio district since 1983, lambasted what she called “one party rule Columbus,” blaming “self-interested politicians” for cutting “side deals” to advance their own agendas.
“Let the Columbus politicians make their self-serving maps and play musical chairs, I will fight on for the people and ask the voters for their support next year,” she said in a statement posted to social media Friday morning.
Despite some criticism for the Democrats on the commission — particularly from anti-gerrymandering activists in the state — national Democrats praised them for making the best out of a bad situation.
“As the White House has pushed for attacks on our democracy in state after state, Ohio’s Democratic Legislative Leadership has fended off the most extreme scenario in the Buckeye State,” Eric Holder, the chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement. “Though there is substantial work to do, this imperfect map allows sitting Democrats to continue to compete in all their existing congressional districts.”
It’s still a win for Republicans, who are also seeking to redraw maps in their favor in states from Indiana to Nebraska as Texas, North Carolina and Missouri have already approved new lines.
Democrats are hoping to counteract the GOP’s redistricting push with their own efforts in California, where voters will consider a ballot referendum next week, as well as New York, Virginia and Illinois.
Andrew Howard contributed to this report.
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