Ruling putting invalidated Ohio House, Senate maps in place for August primary sparks lawsuits

The federal court decision ordering state House and Senate maps that were ruled unconstitutional in March be used for an August 2 primary is generating lawsuits.

Minority Democrats are pushing back on what they view as unfair fallout from the implementation of maps approved months ago but never upheld as constitutional.

Six people who want to run as Democrats for the legislature or the state central committee have filed suit, saying Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose illegally blocked their petitions. He has said the filing deadline was in February, before the federal court got involved. But the Democrats say there were no valid maps in place at that filing deadline, and with an August 2 primary, the deadline should be 90 days prior or May 4, which they say they met.

Another suit comes from Democratic Rep. Adam Miller, who says when he filed for re-election in February he was in the same district, but the third set of maps – which the federal court ordered used for the primary – put him up against Minority Leader Allison Russo. He wants the court to give candidates 30 days to move to new districts if they want to run.

The Ohio Supreme Court has fast tracked both cases, with filings due next week.

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