GOP 'Ignored Voters' With Gerrymandered Maps: Lakewood Politician

LAKEWOOD, OH — A Lakewood politician is condemning the Ohio GOP for "ignoring the will" of voters and again proposing gerrymandered maps that preserve Republican control of the state's levers of power.

State Sen. Nickie Antonio, a Democrat, responded to the Ohio Senate passing Senate Bill 258 on Tuesday. The legislation keeps many of Ohio's districts gerrymandered.

“I am extremely disheartened that yet again, the Republican majority has chosen to ignore the will of voters who overwhelmingly passed fair map reforms. This is not the outcome that numerous Ohioans who stood in the rain to collect signatures, submitted maps, showed up to testify and sacrificed their valuable time wanted," Antonio said in a statement.

• READ MORE: Senate Passes Congressional Map That Continues GOP Stronghold Over State

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The maps have also been criticized by the League of Women Voters and Fair Districts Ohio. In September, the ACLU launched a lawsuit against the state arguing that Republicans had ignored the will of voters and refused to end gerrymandering.

According to the lawsuit, Republicans have received between 47 percent and 60 percent of total votes cast over the past decade. Their proposed maps would give them control of 67 percent of the Ohio House and 69 percent of the Ohio Senate.

Six years ago, Ohio voters passed measures to end gerrymandering demanding politicians draw non-partisan, commonsense districts. Republicans have ignored that law, according to the lawsuit.

"When all is said and done, this map continues to allow politicians to choose their constituents instead of letting voters choose their representatives. It is a slap in the face to Ohioans and a blatant subversion of our democratic process," Antonio said.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat whose district includes Lakewood, similarly blasted the Republican maps.

"The voters of Ohio spoke loudly and clearly in 2018 when they went to the ballot box and voted overwhelmingly for fair representation. At every step of the way, Republicans have ignored those demands, greased the wheels, and engaged in a partisan process behind closed doors and away from the watchful eyes of the public," she said in a statement.