Columbus Dispatch...
New bill adds 2nd primary for Ohio in 2012
Black caucus may hold key to deal on district lines  
October 22,  2011 

Ohio voters would cast ballots for local, state and U.S. Senate races in March, but the 2012 presidential and U.S. House primaries would be moved to June 12 under a bill that passed the Senate yesterday. It is slated for a quick House vote today — unless a deal on a new congressional map is reached. 

There would be a split primary, estimated to cost $15 million more, because of the uncertainty surrounding new congressional-district lines. Democrats, helped by a unanimous Ohio Supreme Court ruling last week, have said they will try to overturn the GOP-drawn congressional map, which would delay its implementation until at least the end of 2012. 

Aaron Ockerman, executive director of the Ohio Association of Elections Officials, said that in addition to the trouble the maneuver causes his members, he is concerned that the split primary would cause voter confusion. 

Catherine Turcer, with Ohio Citizen Action, and Peg Rosenfield, with the League of Women Voters of Ohio, expressed a similar sentiment, as did some Democrats. 

“It’s not even split so all the federal candidates are going at the same time,” Turcer said. 

Moving the congressional and presidential primaries buys time to work out a possible deal on a new map, and it helps with filing-deadline issues. 

“I’m open to looking at the maps if that’s what it takes to bring clarity and certainty to the elections process,” said Senate President Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond. He said he would rather work something out so the state needs only one primary. 

There have been talks with the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus regarding possible changes to the congressional map, which must be redrawn every 10 years to match new census data. House Republicans need at least seven Democrats to pass a new map with an emergency clause that would let it take effect immediately and head off any referendum effort. 

“We do want to play a role in changing the maps, but we want to make sure our party is unified,” said Rep. Sandra Williams, D-Cleveland, president of the black caucus. That indicates the caucus would not work out a deal on its own. 

Williams said yesterday that she had not seen a new map. “I heard our side might have something available,” she said, adding that she is meeting this morning with Democratic leaders. “Everybody knows it is in the best interest of the state to get something done right away and start focusing on other issues.” 

Republican sources, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity, said late yesterday that legislative leaders had rallied behind a revised map that would win support from more African-American lawmakers. 

The map would concentrate black voters in districts in Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo while adding more black voters to the newly created Columbus district. The original map diluted the power of black voters in several urban areas by scattering them into a number of districts. 

“There is a map on the table,” one source said. 

Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, said it is “ridiculous” how the Republican map cuts through cities and communities. He said the way the black population of Dayton was cut in half and was split up in other cities “hampers the African-American opportunity to have an influence.” 

He also said an agreement should include all Democratic leaders, not just the black caucus. A key complaint from Democrats is that the map gives Republicans a solid chance to hold 12 of 16 congressional seats. 

Sen. Keith Faber, R-Celina, said moving the primary to June gives lawmakers until at least Jan. 12 to work out a deal. He wants to avoid putting district lines in the hands of a federal court. 

“This gives us a window of opportunity to work on this,” he said. 

If the change is approved, only Utah would have a later Republican presidential primary than Ohio. House Bill 318 also would combine the 2012 August special election with the June primary. 

Democrats tried to amend the measure to place all races in a single June primary. They also criticized the cost of a second primary. 

Republicans said they wanted to move only the elections that were necessary, arguing that if the primary-date bill also is put up for a referendum or court challenge, they did not want to put all races at risk. 

The state would reimburse counties for the cost of the second primary. 

The new primary also would change how Republican presidential delegates are selected. Under national GOP rules, holding the primary in March required the Ohio contest to be proportional, meaning a Republican White House hopeful could win delegates without carrying the state. But when the Ohio GOP submitted its delegate plan last month, it contained a clause reverting to winner-take-all if the primary is shifted later than April 1. 

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