Some Ohio counties have multiple congressional districts
UC expert talks about impact of redistricting in Ohio
The Ohio Capital Journal asked a University of Cincinnati Professor David Niven to explain why congressional districts in Ohio cut many counties in half.
At least a dozen of Ohio's 88 counties have multiple congressional districts.
“There are certain places like Columbus that are too big to fit into a congressional district,” UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor David Niven told the Ohio Capital Journal. “You have to split them.”
Ohio's congressional map. Graphic/Ohio Secretary of State's Office
Neighborhoods around UC and in the rest of Eastern Hamilton County lie in the 1st Congressional District. Hamilton County also shares the 8th Congressional District.
The congressional map can create some confusion. Voters sometimes come to the wrong polling location to cast a ballot when congressional districts split counties, Democratic Party Chairwoman Gail Garbrandt told the Ohio Capital Journal.
“It’s very natural for people to assume that we’re all in the same districts together,” Niven said.
This confusion might discourage some voters from participating in elections at all, Garabrandt said.
Congressional maps are redrawn periodically to adjust for each state's changing population after the 10-year census. But political parties are often accused of drawing the maps to give them a political advantage called gerrymandering.
Ohio's new congressional maps give Republicans an advantage in roughly two-thirds of the state's districts.
Ohio voters in November will decide whether to create a new redistricting commission composed of Republicans, Democrats and independents. Lobbyists, political consultants and elected officials would be ineligible to serve on the commission.
Read the Ohio Capital Journal story.
Featured image at top: UC School of Public and International Affairs Professor David Niven spoke to the Ohio Capital Journal about congressional redistricting. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Related Stories
‘Designer drug’ shows early neuroprotective signal in acute ischemic stroke
October 28, 2025
Medscape highlighted new trial results led by the University of Cincinnati's Eva Mistry that found an experimental drug shows promise in protecting injured brain cells for patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Is menstrual fluid ‘the most overlooked opportunity’ in women’s health?
October 27, 2025
The Guardian recently reported that period blood has long been thought of as ‘stinky and useless’, but startups are exploring using the fluid to test for a wide range of health conditions — including endometriosis.
What is squalane, and how does it work to moisturize skin?
October 27, 2025
The University of Cincinnati's Kelly Dobos was featured in a Women's Health article discussing squalane, an ingredient being increasingly used in moisturizing skincare products.