Ohio is one of the few states that is actually required to do a mid-decade redistricting for 2026. But that mandate hasn’t made the process easy.
Redistricting in the state is in limbo as Republicans trudge through a convoluted constitutional process to secure a new map and weigh just how aggressive to be in that redraw.
Per the state’s constitution, Ohio’s congressional map is only good for two cycles if the redistricting commission passes it without bipartisan support. So lawmakers must draw again ahead of 2026.
Ohio’s 15-member delegation consists of 10 Republicans and five Democrats. In 2022, Republicans initially tried to push through a more favorable map only to be stymied by the Ohio Supreme Court. But the court has become more conservative since that ruling, leaving the GOP optimistic about getting a redrawn map in place for the midterms.
Ohio Republicans are very likely to try to draw out Democratic Reps. Emilia Sykes, in the Akron area, and Marcy Kaptur, in Toledo. The question is whether or not they’ll also target Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman in Cincinnati, per sources close to the process.
The timeline. Ohio Republicans have already indicated that they will blow past the Sept. 30 deadline to draw a map.
Once that happens, a bipartisan commission will attempt to draw a map that passes with support from both Democratic and Republican commissioners. In today’s hyperpartisan climate, no one believes this can happen. If the commission misses the Oct. 31 deadline, the legislature gets another go.
This time, the legislature can pass a map with a simple majority, but they have to follow some additional guidelines concerning things like compactness and county splits. Their deadline is Nov. 30, and that’s the one that really matters.
