Ohio to play key role in national fight for Congress as redistricting battle rages
President Donald Trump has floated using the FBI to retrieve Texas Democrats who fled voting on a Republican-drawn congressional map. Vice President JD Vance is asking Indiana Republicans to consider adding another GOP seat there.
Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democratic governors have threatened to redraw their maps to add more Democratic seats if Republicans move forward with their plans. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently said: "This is a war. We are at war."
More: Trump says FBI 'may have to' force Democratic lawmakers back to Texas
Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio said she would be "very concerned" about Democrats' response in a normal world.
"This is not normal," said Antonio, D-Lakewood. "It appears we have to do everything we can to fight back."
More: Redistricting: Ohio must draw a new congressional map. Republicans hold all the cards
In Ohio, the fight over a new congressional map has yet to begin. But it will play out over the next few months under tremendous political pressure from Washington, D.C.
Here's what to expect:
Why is Ohio drawing a new congressional map?
Unlike other states, Ohio's political leaders don't have a choice on whether to redraw the state's congressional map.
Ohio Republicans approved the state's current congressional map in 2021. But the map lasted only four years because no Democrats voted for it. Ohio's leaders must now draw a new map for the next three elections.
What's the current split on Ohio's congressional map?
Ohio's current congressional delegation includes 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats. That means Republicans control 66% of seats even though Trump won 55% of the votes in the 2024 election − a decisive 11-point victory over Democrat Kamala Harris.
Which congressional seats could Republicans target to pick up seats in Ohio?
Republicans are likely to target two competitive congressional seats held by Democratic Reps. Marcy Kaptur, of Toledo, and Emilia Sykes, of Akron.
They could try to rearrange the 1st congressional district in Cincinnati, currently held by Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman. That would be more of a stretch because the city of Cincinnati must be kept whole under anti-gerrymandering rules approved by voters in 2018.
What's the timeline for approving a new map in Ohio?
Ohio must approve a new congressional map by Nov. 30 to use in the 2026 elections.
But there are other deadlines before that final one. Lawmakers have until Sept. 30 to pass a congressional map with support from at least three-fifths of lawmakers in each chamber and half of the Democrats. Legislative Republicans and Democrats each get up to $200,000 to spend on mapmaking.
Then, the Ohio Redistricting Commission has until Oct. 31 to pass a map with bipartisan support. That commission includes three Republican statewide officials, two Republican lawmakers and two Democratic lawmakers.
The pen returns to lawmakers, who can approve a map with support from three-fifths of members and one-third of Democrats on board.
The final option is for Republican lawmakers to pass a map without any Democratic support. If Republicans take that route, they must follow some rules: they cannot "unduly" favor a political party or incumbents or "unduly" split counties, townships and municipalities.
Any map approved by lawmakers will be sent to Gov. Mike DeWine for his signature or veto. After that, voters could collect signatures via the referendum process to put the map up for a vote.
What have Ohio leaders said about redistricting?
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, who was a powerful figure in the last redistricting cycle, said through a spokesperson that he supports "a fair and data-driven redistricting process that accurately reflects Ohio's political landscape and provides consistency for voters."
"The Speaker is focused on delivering a durable outcome for Ohio, not on meeting external expectations."
Antonio said she wants to take Republicans at their word: "in spite of the national landscape, that Republican leaders are going to do their best for the people of Ohio."
Still, Antonio is troubled by how the White House has influenced redistricting across the nation. "This is an authoritarian government that is in control of the United States, and they are dictating, and that's something we should all be concerned about."
Obama calls Texas GOP's redistricting plan a 'power grab that undermines our democracy'
Former President Barack Obama jumped into the nation's cross-country redistricting fight, calling Texas Republicans' push to add five new GOP congressional seats "a power grab that undermines our democracy."
Obama's remarks, made in a statement posted Aug. 5 on X, come as President Donald Trump has pressured Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Republicans in the GOP-controlled Texas state legislature to approve new congressional maps to help Republicans maintain control of the U.S. House during the 2026 midterm elections.
Read more here
JD Vance to visit Indiana amid push for redistricting
Vice President JD Vance is visiting Indianapolis on Aug. 7 to speak with Gov. Mike Braun and Republican legislative leaders about the possibility of redistricting the state's congressional districts amid the Trump administration's push to increase the GOP majority in the House.
Vance plans to meet with Braun, House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate Pro Tempore Rodric Bray. The group expects to discuss several topics, Braun said, but any discussion about redistricting would be "exploratory" and no commitments have been made at this point.
Read more on what's happening in Indiana here.
USA TODAY and The Indianapolis Star contributed to this article.
State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@gannett.com or @jbalmert on X.
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CBS News
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A review process exists for Trump's White House ballroom. He hasn't applied yet.
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