By Nov. 30, Ohio lawmakers and the Redistricting Commission must redraw congressional districts in preparation for the 2026 House of Representatives race. This process, required under state law and influenced by both partisan and bipartisan pressures, could reshape political representation and will determine how districts are configured for voters across the state.
Typically, the districts are redrawn every ten years following the census. In 2022, however, the General Assembly approved the new map through a simple majority rather than a bipartisan vote. Following the implementation of Issue 1 in 2018, a map approved without full bipartisan backing must be redrawn after four years rather than 10.
There are multiple steps to Ohio’s redistricting process. First, the General Assembly must redraw the districts and obtain a bipartisan vote by Sept. 30. If they fail, Ohio’s Redistricting Commission will redraw the districts and attempt to secure a map with bipartisan agreement by Oct. 31. If the commission is unsuccessful, responsibility returns to the General Assembly, which must approve the map by Nov. 30. A map may be enacted with support from a simple majority if bipartisan support cannot be secured, but they must redistrict after four years.
Ohio’s Redistricting Commission has seven members. The senate president, speaker of the house, senate’s minority leader and the house’s minority leader all appoint one member each. The remaining three are the governor, the auditor and the secretary of state. The majority of its seats are held by the Republican Party, raising concerns for Democrats about potentially unfavorable districts in Ohio, especially after Texas’s recent move to introduce a greater number of Republican seats.
The discussion around Texas’s gerrymandering in early August has prompted similar attention to Ohio’s redistricting.
“If any state goes too far with a partisan gerrymander, it can backfire,” said Justin Buchler, Case Western Reserve University assistant professor in the department of political science. “Texas’s plan is a significant change, and we have no idea what any other state might do. Everything is up in the air at the moment.”
Despite the uncertainty that comes with redistricting, many incumbents plan on running for re-election in the November 2026 congressional elections.
Democrat incumbents include Greg Landsman for Ohio’s 1st congressional district, Joyce Beatty for the 3rd, Marcy Kaptur for the 9th, Shontel Brown for the 11th and Emilia Sykes for the 13th. Possible challengers include Republican Eric Conroy, a veteran and CIA officer, and Kevin Coughlin for districts 1 and 13, respectively. For the Republicans, incumbents are David Taylor for the 2nd congressional district, Jim Jordan for the 4th, Bob Latta for the 5th, Michael Rulli for the 6th and more. These districts, as per the 2024 election, remain solid red.
While the district can change, CWRU currently falls into Ohio’s 11th Congressional District. Its representative is Democrat Shontel Brown, who was first elected as a Representative in 2021 and has retained her position since. Securing 78% of the votes in District 11 in 2024, Brown has solidified her position as Representative and plans to maintain it in 2026. As of August 2025, there are no public running challengers for the district.
As a Congresswoman, she has focused on policies that close the racial health gap, expand opportunities for Black Americans and strengthen anti-discrimination laws. Alongside these policies, she serves as an active member of several caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus, the New Democrat Coalition, the Pro-Choice Caucus, the Democratic Women’s Caucus and others.
As the date comes closer to Nov. 30, partisan tensions will only continue to rise. Only time will tell how the districts will be redrawn.