The Ohio Redistricting Commission met yesterday. The seven members, five Republicans and two Democrats, are tasked with redrawing the legislative boundaries for the state’s lawmakers.
The Republican members of the commission are: House Speaker Robert Cupp, Senate President Matt Huffman, Governor Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and State Auditor Keith Faber. The Democrats are Senator Vernon Sykes and Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes.
This is the first time redistricting will take place incorporating changes approved by voters that seek to make the process more open and fair and less partisan.
Today marks the first legal deadline in the process. By September 1, the commission is expected give the public a map proposal for the new legislative boundaries. But the commission seems poised to miss that deadline.
The process is off to a slow start, bogged down by the delay in data released from United States Census Bureau. The census itself endured delays in 2020 created largely by the pandemic.
Redistricting is also underway on the local level. This week the Cuyahoga County Districting Commission approved a new map of council districts for the county. Just under 30,000 Cuyahoga County residents will be in new districts. The map includes changes based on feedback received in multiple public meetings.
The district seeing the biggest change is District 7 that includes the entire City of Cleveland which map makers say is more vulnerable to change.
The Cleveland mayoral primary will be held on September 14. Seven candidates are vying to replace Frank Jackson who will retire at the end of this current term—his fourth as mayor of the city.
It is the first time in 16 years that voters will have the chance to choose new leadership for the city. Early voting is ongoing for the mayoral race and 5,000 Clevelanders have cast early ballots.
The top two finishers in the primary will move on to the November 2 General Election.
Money is a reality in any political race. And among the seven candidates seeking the to become mayor, the amount of money available to wage their campaigns varies.
Each week, in Ideastream Public Media's new podcast, "After Jackson: Cleveland's Next Mayor" Senior Reporter/Producer Nick Castele has been following in-depth the candidates and their campaigns.
This week Nick turns his attention to the money in the mayor's race, both the amounts raised by the candidates as well as that being utilized by Super PACs.
The After Jackson: Cleveland's Next Mayor podcast will follow the campaign and issues up to the September primary and then right on through the general election in November.
You can follow the After Jackson: Cleveland's Next Mayor podcast and download it from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher and NPR One. We will also continue to bring you the episodes weekly here on The Sound of Ideas.
Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
Nick Castele, Senior Reporter/Producer, Ideastream Public Media
