Rep. Denson votes in opposition to Republican gerrymandered 13-2 congressional map, urges veto from the governor

COLUMBUS —Rep. Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati) today issued a statement as Republicans passed a partisan, four-year congressional district map that unduly favors GOP candidates 13-2. 

“Ohioans have demanded fair maps, and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have refused to listen. Hamilton County has been sliced up, splitting the county into 3 different districts, non-representative of the Ohio voters and their preferences. The utter lack of willingness from the Republican caucus to work across the aisle in a bipartisan manner is a complete betrayal of the very people we were elected to represent,” said Rep. Denson.

Democrats offered a compromise set of district lines on the House floor Thursday, which they say better align with the fair district reforms voters passed in 2018. The Democratic amendment mirrored their compromise map, HB 483, and would have limited unwarranted splits in Ohio’s largest counties, kept more communities together, and better reflected the preferences of Ohio voters. The map also created three minority opportunity districts. Republicans rejected the good faith amendment.

Following the vote, Rep. Denson sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine urging a veto of the Republicans’ partisan 13-2 map, which says the map “violates the Ohio Constitution and flouts the will of the people of Ohio who demanded fair districts that follow explicit, strict anti-gerrymandering requirements.”

*Editor’s note: A copy of Rep. Denson’s letter urging Gov. DeWine to veto SB 258 is attached.