Judges won’t delay order for new Ohio congressional map

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

The federal judges who found Ohio’s congressional map unconstitutional won’t delay their order for a new map to be drawn by June 14, so the state will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to put that on hold, the attorney general said Thursday.

A three-judge panel ordered the new map for the 2020 elections after concluding that Ohio’s congressional districts were unconstitutionally drawn by Republicans for their political advantage. The same judges declined Thursday to put their order on hold while Republican officials in Ohio appeal it.

Attorney General Dave Yost said that outcome was expected. He said Ohio will ask the Supreme Court to put the order on hold pending the justices’ ruling on similar matters that are before them.

If the ruling stands, it could be an important victory for Democrats. They hope redrawn boundaries in this longtime battleground state would help them gain House seats and deliver delegates for a Democratic presidential nominee next year.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose repeated his comments about the judges’ conclusions Thursday, saying he’ll work to administer fair elections in 2020 “pending the conclusion of the judicial process.”