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Democrats Endorse Redistricting

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – The Ohio Democratic Party has ended months of uncertainty by voting to endorse a proposed overhaul of Ohio’s redistricting system.

The party’s executive committee backed Issue 1 on fall statewide ballots in a vote on Saturday.

Democratic and Republican support for the measure seemed initially guaranteed because it stemmed from an historic bipartisan deal struck by state lawmakers last year. The new setup aims to overhaul a system for drawing state legislative maps that both sides have acknowledged as fostering a form of partisan favoritism called gerrymandering.

The Ohio Republican Party endorsed it earlier, but some Democrats worried the proposed changes would disadvantage their party long term.

Democratic Party chairman David Pepper called the proposal a step toward more competitive legislative districts.