Analysis gives ‘F’ to Ohio House map proposed by Republicans

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An academic lab working to reduce the drawing of political district lines to maximize partisan advantage is flunking a map of new Ohio House districts proposed by Republicans.

The Princeton Gerrymandering Project, working with the anti-corruption group RepresentUS, says the boundaries fell short of being fair when compared to a million simulated alternatives.

The analysis gave a better score of B to the Ohio Senate map that Republicans have proposed. Analysts said the second map fared better because each Senate districts contains three House districts, diluting the partisan advantage.

The scores came as the two Democrats on the powerful Ohio Redistricting Commission — state Sen. Vernon Sykes and House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, his daughter — prepared to propose an amendment to the GOP plan at a regional hearing in suburban Cleveland.

The commission faces a Wednesday deadline to come up with a map that can win bipartisan support and, therefore, hold for a full decade. Otherwise, under new map-drawing rules approved by Ohio voters, another map must be drawn in just four years.