The Republican redistricting effort has been hindered by partisan judges who were many times elected as a result of the 2018 blue-wave. Although extensive Democrat gerrymanders have been permitted to continue in New York, Illinois and other places, GOP maps have been invalidated in Ohio and North Carolina. There is a feeling that the major parties play under two sets of rules.
On Thursday, Democrats were once again celebrating another victory after the state’s Supreme Court struck down the Republican-drawn map.
A bipartisan majority of Ohio Supreme Court justices has rejected, for the third time in barely two months, new maps of state legislative districts that heavily favor the Republican Party — ratcheting up an extraordinary legal standoff. https://t.co/izZFrq4LPG
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 17, 2022
That wasn’t the end of the story, though. The Ohio Supreme Court issued a final decision on Friday regarding the map that was overturned. The court has now ruled that the redistricting commission is free to submit the next map. Any challenge to the most recent map must be brought in a new suit.
It didn’t take long before the crying started. For more entertainment, you can click the image below and see the replies to this tweet.
Wow: on a seeming technicality, the OH Supreme Court leaves open the possibility for the latest GOP congressional gerrymander to be used for this November’s election. This is both a surprise and a blow for Democrats. https://t.co/Xb0NfnsY5K
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) March 18, 2022
Dave Wasserman tags himself as an apolitical election observer, but one can’t help but notice how differently he reacts depending on what party is getting the short end of the stick. What’s so upsetting about a solidly red state (and Ohio is that at this point) actually getting to have a congressional map that rivals those drawn in solidly blue states?
Let’s get back to the basics. The problem with a new lawsuit filing is its timeline. Ohio’s primary date is May 3. It is imperative that the new districts are established before then, for obvious reasons. It would also be possible to start a lawsuit from scratch with new filings, normal delays and other procedures. Also, it is important to remember that the election date is only one deadline. Ballots should be printed within the week and polling stations must be set up. As with all elections, volunteers must be organized in order to manage them.
What that means in practice is that the GOP can put out a new map and it will likely stand because another lawsuit won’t have time to stop it before the primary. Perhaps any future maps would not have fallen under the authority of the earlier suit if the Ohio Supreme Court hadn’t made a final ruling. That’s not how it went down, though, and Democrats are furious about it.
After a flurry of partisan rulings by Democrat judges across red states, this is a relief that Republicans badly need. We hope it holds, and that there are some additional pickups for November.
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