Leader Russo responds to Federal Court ruling on use of unconstitutional, gerrymandered Republican districts

COLUMBUS – House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) issued the following statement today in response to a federal, three-judge panel’s decision to implement the latest set of gerrymandered, state legislative districts in Ohio, created by the Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission:

“This is a sad day for democracy. The federal court’s ruling rewarded lawlessness, partisanship, and unchecked power that Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected twice at the ballot box. There is no justice in denying voters the opportunity for fair and free elections that use constitutional maps. Corruption and extremism will continue in Ohio until politicians in power put the voices of voters ahead of politics.”

Ohio Redistricting Commission Co-Chair Sen. Vernon Sykes and Commission member Allison Russo have sent Republican Commissioners a letter requesting the Commission to meet prior to the June 3rd deadline, set in the latest ruling, by the Ohio Supreme Court. Today’s federal court decision implementing Map 3— districts that were ruled unconstitutional twice by the Ohio Supreme Court— applies only to the 2022 election.