SANDUSKY — It’s not immediately clear how the Ohio Redistricting Commission overcame a requirement in the state constitution that all Congressional districts be drawn with a contiguous boundary.
The new map released by the Commission on Friday shows two sets of boundaries for the new 9th U.S. District that includes the city of Sandusky: One is the entire boundary surrounding Erie County including the shoreline, and the other is the rest of the district to the west, which now includes Ottawa, Lucas, Fulton, Williams, Henry, Defiance and Paulding counties.
The two parts of the new 9th District appear clearly separated in the map the commission provided news outlets on Friday, when all seven members of the Redistricting Commission, including two Democrats, voted for a gerrymandered map that Republicans had just introduced. It moves two districts from “likely Democrat” to “likely Republican” voter turnouts based on past voting patterns, including the 9th District.
The Congressional balance went from 10 likely Republican seats and 5 likely Democratic seats to 12-3, respectively. Republicans increased the party’s odds of gaining two seats in Washington in next year’s midterm election with the new map.
The “contiguous territory'“ clause is contained in Article XIX, Section 2 of the Ohio Constitution, which was amended through a voter-approved reform measure in 2018:
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