By Heather Taylor-Miesle, Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund PAC President
Gerrymandering is a huge issue in Ohio… in fact, our state has one of the most polarized maps in the country, meaning the voices and votes of our communities go largely unheard. At the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund PAC, we believe a fair democracy is the first step toward a fair vote on the issues we care about most, including environment, which is why we need a fair Auditor of State who will be a leader on redrawing our district lines in a more accurate way.
The OEC family of organizations, alongside the League of Women Voters and Common Cause Ohio, NAACP, and Innovation Ohio, worked tirelessly on passing a ballot measure in May 2018 — known as Issue 1 — that will require a process of drawing our districts that is both fair and bipartisan. The first-of-its-kind amendment will end gerrymandering once and for all and give the power back to voters.
Space has made redistricting a top priority and will serve on the redistricting commission to draw better districts for the 2022 election cycle and beyond. As a former Public Defender and Congressman, Space has seen first-hand what redistricting does to a community, especially one that is underserved. Space championed working class Ohioans while in Congress and we believe he will continue to do the same as Auditor of State.
The Action Fund PAC looks forward to supporting Space during his campaign and we are eager to work with him in office, to make sure our districts are drawn as fairly as possible so that we can come together on the issues that matter most.