Democrats on Ohio Redistricting Commission ask court to move May 3 primary

(The Center Square) – The two Democrats on the Ohio Redistricting Commission want the Ohio Supreme Court to move the state’s May 3 primary amid ongoing legal challenges to state legislative and congressional district maps.

Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, and House Minority Leader Allison Russo, R-Upper Arlington, filed a motion late Monday to move the primary to June 28 or another date, claiming doing so would make sure the court can continue to work with the commission on maps that meet state and federal requirements.

“Sen. Sykes and I have asked the court to move the primary election date while the redistricting commission continues to draft and finalize a new, constitutional set of maps,” Russo said. “We are making progress and we can easily achieve this if we keep working together. Ohio voters deserve a free and fair election, which requires fair maps.”

A federal judge appointed a three-judge panel Friday to hear a group of Republican voters’ lawsuit asking the court to step in and allow state legislative maps adopted by the commission in late February to stand and allow the May 3 primary to move forward.

The voter group asked the federal court Monday for a temporary restraining order and to implement the maps adopted Feb. 24, which the Ohio Supreme Court declared unconstitutional.

“Senator Sykes and Leader Russo want these state processes to continue unimpeded under our state constitutional scheme so that the will of the Ohio voters may be vindicated,” the motion read. “The federal court lawsuit asks that the process be taken away from the state and seeks to impose a map that this Court held was unconstitutional – all because of a looming primary date. To protect its own orders, its authority, and the will of the Ohio voters, this Court should move the primary.”

John Fortney, communications director for the Senate Republican Caucus, said in a statement Ohio law gives the General Assembly has the authority to set the time, place and manner of conducting elections.

The supreme court gave the commission until 9 a.m. Wednesday to respond to Sykes and Russo’s motion.

The commission agreed Monday night to hire two independent map makers to help create a fourth set of maps, facing a Monday deadline to submit those to the supreme court.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced last week the state will hold two primaries – one for congressional, statewide and local races and a second at a later date for state legislative races. The cost of the second primary could reach $20 million, LaRose said.

The court tossed the commission’s third set of districts last week, saying again they were unfairly gerrymandered to favor Republicans.

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