1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, and I write to express deep concern about the ongoing practice of partisan gerrymandering in our state. I urge you to support legislative reforms ensuring truly fair and representative redistricting in Ohio. 1. Gerrymandering undermines representative democracy
Redistricting should ensure that voters are treated equally. However, extreme partisan gerrymanders allow legislators to choose their voters instead of the reverse, diluting the political influence of communities that do not align with the controlling party. This erodes public trust and discourages civic participation. 2. It violates Ohio’s own constitutional reforms
Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved major reforms in 2015 and 2018, amending the state constitution to require that both legislative and federal maps approximate the statewide partisan voting proportions and ban intentional partisan bias. These amendments also created a transparent redistricting commission with minority‑party involvement. 3. Courts have repeatedly struck down unlawful maps
Despite these reforms, multiple state legislative maps approved by the Ohio Redistricting Commission in 2021 and beyond were ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court for giving partisan advantage incompatible with the constitution League of Women Voters. The Court struck down at least four successive maps, each by a bipartisan majority including the then‑Republican Chief Justice League of Women Voters. 4. Federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court recognize the problem
A federal court ruled as early as 2019 that Ohio’s congressional maps were drawn with “invidious partisan intent” and remanded them for redrawing. 5. Ohio’s political reality does not reflect Ohio voters
Despite Democrats earning roughly 45 % of the statewide vote in the 2012–2020 elections, Republicans have consistently held roughly 70 % of state legislative seats and an inflated share of congressional seats—far beyond proportional representation apnews.comThe Guardian. What I urge you to do: • Support federal legislation or incentives that encourage independent or bipartisan redistricting. • Champion meaningful reforms in Ohio that bind elected officials and commissions to enforce fair-districting standards. • Stand for transparent, public-minded mapping processes that prevent mapmaking in secret or on party lines. For democracy to work, Ohioans must be represented fairly—not disenfranchised through partisan design. I expect you to uphold your oath and respect the voice of your constituents and the law by saying NO to partisan gerrymandering.