Ohio's Redistricting: Beyond the Noise

Ohio recently made headlines with a unanimous, bipartisan agreement on a new congressional district plan. This achievement came after a lot of drama and protests. Critics filled hearing rooms, wearing the same shirts and shouting familiar slogans. It's easy to question if these protests are genuine or just part of a political script. The focus on state-level redistricting often overshadows urban gerrymandering. In Ohio's eight largest cities, not a single Republican sits on the governing council. Columbus, for example, has a large Republican population but no Republican council members. The city's voting system recently sparked outrage when a Democratic candidate won more votes in his district but lost the overall race due to votes from outside the district. This system, criticized as "uncommon and unfair, " was designed to keep Republicans off the council. The hypocrisy is clear. Groups like the League of Women Voters protest state redistricting controlled by Republicans but stay silent on the lack of representation in Democrat-governed cities. Ohio voters saw through this hypocrisy last year, rejecting a Democratic gerrymandering proposal by nearly 10 points. Most Ohioans understand that redistricting is complex but can spot fake outrage when they see it. They prefer a process that works over political theatrics. The recent bipartisan agreement shows that solutions can prevail over shouting and slogans. However, the debate often reveals that fairness is only acknowledged when it benefits one side.