It seems mathematical. According to the proposed redistricting plan, Republican Mike Turner’s 3rd Congressional District is merging with Republican Steve Austria’s 7th District and the new District will be Ohio’s 10th Congressional District. The current 10th District — Cuyahoga County — is represented by Dennis Kucinich.
It looks like the new 10th district will have more Republican voters from Austria’s old 7th district than Republicans from Turner’s old 3rd District, so, it appears that Austria will have the advantage in the coming primary battle between the two Republicans.
The proposed new map puts more more Montgomery County Democrats into John Boehner's 8th District. This makes it possible to put even more Republicans in the new 10th District. I'm thinking Austria has an advantage because I'm guessing the number of Republicans in the new 10th District in Montgomery County, that currently are in Turner's 3rd District, must be a smaller number than the combined number of Republicans currently in Austria's 7th District -- in Green, Fayette, Pickaway and Fairfield Counties.
This is how the districts currently look. In the proposed new map, Turner loses the Republicans in Highland, Clinton, and Warren Counties. Austria loses the Republicans in Perry and Clark Counties.
This is the proposed new map -- most of the districts are really wildly shaped, bizarre. It is so shamelessly gerrymandered as to be funny. The logic of this design was to produce a map that would send as many Republicans to Washington as possible and the new map should produce 12 Republican congressman and 4 Democratic congressman. Our democracy allows politicians to choose voters, rather than vice versa. Republicans are counting on controlling 75% of Ohio's congressional caucus, regardless that the state votes only about 55% Republican, or less, in congressional contests.
