Redistricting plan strengthens Mahoning Valley as Dem stronghold

YOUNGSTOWN — The congressional boundary lines of districts served by U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan, Bill Johnson and Steven C. LaTourette will see several changes under a redistricting plan, but only some Mahoning Valley communities will have new districts.

Ohio Republicans unveiled the redistricting plan today. The state is losing two of its 18 House seats in the 2012 election because the state’s population didn’t grow as fast as the rest of the nation’s.

The redistricting takes effect with the 2012 election.

Ryan’s current 17th Congressional District will be renamed the 13th District.

As reported Tuesday in The Vindicator, Ryan’s district will include a little less of Trumbull and Portage counties but will grow in Mahoning and Summit counties.

Also, the northwestern portion of Stark County — Alliance and Lexington and Washington townships — will join the district.

Because of the changes, Trumbull will no longer be the most-populated county in the congressional district, something it’s been for the past decade.

A statistical analysis by The Vindicator shows that Mahoning will be the new district’s most-populated county with about 209,000 residents compared with about 190,000 for Trumbull.

Ryan, a Democrat from Niles, has represented the 17th District since January 2003.

The biggest pickup for the 13th district is Boardman, with a population of 42,518, moving from the 6th.

Also moving from the 6th to the new 13th will be the village of Poland, the townships of Milton and Jackson, and a tiny portion of Austintown that’s in the 6th.

With the additions, the already-strong Democratic district gets even stronger.

For the complete story, read Wednesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com