Ohio elections chief looking to keep gerrymandering carousal spinning

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) has announced his intention to run for state auditor, a position where he would still have the power to gerrymander the state’s legislative and congressional maps.

In Ohio, the governor, secretary of state and state auditor partially form the state’s redistricting commission, which has been dominated by the Republican Party since its inception nine years ago. The state GOP has been able to use this majority — along with deception, propaganda and ignoring court orders — to disregard the will of voters and effectively rig Ohio’s maps to favor conservatives.

As secretary of state, LaRose wrote the language of the Issue 1 ballot measure last year, an attempt to shift control of redistricting to a nonpartisan commission. Despite running for the secretary of state’s office to end the practice of gerrymandering, LaRose used deceptive ballot language to preserve the practice and deceive Ohio voters into thinking a “no” vote would stop the manipulation. Last month, Ohio Republican Party Chair Alex Triantafilou applauded the scheme, saying that confusing voters was “not such a bad strategy.”

LaRose is term-limited from seeking another run at the secretary of state’s office, as is Gov. Mike DeWine and current state Auditor Keith Faber. DeWine plans to retire while Faber will seek the attorney general’s office, and state Treasurer Robert Sprague will run for secretary of state. If Republicans maintain control of these seats, they will likely uphold the gerrymandered maps.