UPDATE: Ohio’s newly redrawn congressional map, adopted just last week, has become a focal point of contention as U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes asserts that Democrats can still secure five congressional seats in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Despite the Republican-led redistricting efforts aimed at solidifying their power, Sykes remains optimistic about her party’s chances of reclaiming control of the House of Representatives.
In a significant statement, Sykes criticized the GOP-authored map as “a tragic ending” to the will of Ohio voters who overwhelmingly supported a 2018 constitutional amendment designed to combat partisan redistricting. She highlighted that the previous map, intended to favor Republicans 12-3, still allowed five Democrats to win seats during the last election cycle.
As voters prepare for the polls exactly one year from now, Sykes emphasized, “We had a 12-3 map a week ago. It’s still possible for five Democrats to win, and that’s what we’re focused on.”
The recently approved map was agreed upon in a bipartisan vote by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, following last-minute negotiations between Democratic and Republican legislative leaders. Dani Isaacsohn, the Ohio House Minority Leader and a key negotiator, admitted that while the new map does not reflect the fairness Ohio voters deserve, it was essential to prevent a more aggressively gerrymandered proposal that could have cost Democrats three seats.
Under the new boundaries set to be in effect until 2031, the 13th Congressional District, which Sykes represents, has shifted from a competitive tossup to a slightly Democratic-leaning district. The map redraw removed GOP-leaning areas of Stark County and incorporated more Democratic-friendly regions like Portage County, home to the college town of Kent. This shift even prompted former Republican state legislator Kevin Coughlin, who nearly defeated Sykes in the last election, to withdraw from the race for 2026, citing the new map as a barrier to his victory.
Republican co-chair of the redistricting commission, Brian Stewart, remarked on social media that the approved map favors Republicans in 12 of the 15 seats, predicting that “in a really good year, we could get to 13.” He acknowledged that had the commission failed to reach a bipartisan agreement, a referendum challenging the maps would have likely occurred, potentially leaving Republicans with no opportunities for gains.
The changes also affected other districts. The district of Cincinnati Democrat Greg Landsman was modified to become more Republican by removing Democratic-leaning suburbs and adding more GOP-friendly areas, while Marcy Kaptur‘s district saw an influx of solidly Republican counties, further tilting the balance against her.
This redistricting follows years of legal struggles in Ohio, where past GOP-drawn maps have been ruled unconstitutional by the state’s Supreme Court. Sykes pointed out the shameful disregard for constitutional mandates and the will of Ohio voters, stating, “The failure to follow court orders and to follow the Constitution is pretty shameful.”
The Ohio situation is part of a broader trend across the United States, where several states are revising their congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections. Following former President Donald Trump‘s call to action, Republican-controlled states like Texas and North Carolina have already implemented similar redistricting plans, while Democrats in states like California and Virginia are working to counteract these moves.
Despite the challenging political landscape, Sykes expressed confidence in the Democratic Party’s ability to reclaim the House, attributing the public’s discontent with rising costs and inflation to the current Republican governance. “The American public is feeling the effect of Republican governance, and they don’t like it,” she asserted.
As the clock ticks toward the 2026 elections, all eyes will be on Ohio as both parties strategize to capitalize on the newly drawn map and the shifting political sentiments of the electorate.
