The-Daily-Record.com - Redistricting putting new faces in new places

By BOBBY WARREN

Staff Writer

WOOSTER -- Jim Renacci defeated an incumbent Democrat in his first bid for Congress. If he wants to be reelected, then he will have to beat another: Betty Sutton.

Both Renacci and Sutton filed to run in the newly reconfigured 16th Congressional District, but they will have to file again because the congressional boundary lines were changed by the state Legislature late Wednesday and signed by Gov. John Kasich on Thursday.

Renacci, a Wadsworth Republican, battled incumbent John Bocceri, an Alliance Democrat, and two others, and was elected to serve the district in 2010.

Sutton, a Copley Township Democrat who now represents Ohio's 13th District, ran for a seat vacated by Sherrod Brown, who was elected to the U.S. Senate, in 2006.

When Renacci embarked on his first campaign, in which he had to beat out three others in a Republican primary, he said he was running because of concerns about the kind of future his children and grandchildren would face. It is still a concern of his given excessive government spending and the overwhelming national debt, he said.

With unemployment figures close to 9 percent and even more workers being underemployed, Renacci said he wants to continue to work in the U.S. House to fight for policies that will restore the strength of the economy and responsibility of government.

"Ohio families are hurting, and I can't stand by on the sidelines while Republicans like Jim Renacci continue to enrich millionaires at the expense of the Ohio workers who struggle every day to provide for their families," Sutton said in a press release. "I believe the people of the 16th District deserve a leader in Washington who will put progress before politics and solutions before sound bites."

Sutton, who "grew up down the road" in Barberton, said she is familiar with Wayne County and is looking forward to the opportunity to getting to know the people and represent them. While she has visited the county a lot, "I've never had the privilege to represent it," she said. "I look forward to the opportunity to get out there and get to know all of the folks in the 16th District."

Sutton, a former labor attorney and state representative, said she is excited to run in the 16th because it is so important "we have a voice for middle class families and understand their struggles and will share in their stake of the American dream."

Renacci said in his brief time in office, he has worked in a bipartisan manner to try to move legislation forward to improve the country. He and Rep. John Carney, a Delaware Democrat, started a bipartisan group that meets every few weeks to discuss areas of common ground and find solutions.

"The challenges we face today are not Democrat problems or Republican problems, they are American problems that require American solutions," Renacci stated in a release after he filed for reelection.

The showdown between the two incumbents is the result of having to redraw congressional boundary lines following the 2010 census.

Because Ohio's population has not grown as quickly as other states, it is losing two congressional districts. The 16th District now contains all of Wayne and Stark counties and parts of Ashland and Medina counties. The new 16th District will include all of Wayne County and parts of Stark, Medina, Summit, Portage and Cuyahoga counties. The candidates filed in Cuyahoga County because it is the most populous county.

Sutton referenced a report by the Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting, which is a joint project of the League of Women Voters of Ohio and Ohio Citizen Action, saying it revealed the secrecy and backroom dealing involved in the redistricting process. She said it was disappointing and demonstrated the willingness of Republicans to put political interests ahead of the will of the voters.

"I think Ohioans are tired of it," Sutton said.

The report gave the redistricting process a grade of D-(minus), concluding decisions were not made in public, public input was ignored, the public had limited opportunity to review the proposed maps, the public was not provided with relevant data for proposed districts, nonpartisan redistricting criteria was not used and the criteria used to evaluate plans was never publicly identified.

If he wielded any power in drawing the districts, Renacci said he would have done it differently. "I'm honored to serve wherever the lines are drawn."

Renacci's former opponent, Boccieri, has decided he is not running for Congress this time around. He described Ohio as a "middle-of-the-road" state politically, but the Republicans who controlled the redistricting process created 12 Republican districts and four Democratic districts. Boccieri has said previously in the process his house in Alliance was literally carved out of the 16th District.

"Now is the time for our country to come together and I challenge my former colleagues to shake hands, come together as Americans and find solutions to our problems. We're all counting on you," Boccieri said.

Rep. Bob Gibbs, a Lakeville Republican serving in his first term in the 18th Congressional District, had filed for reelection in the new 7th District, but because Ohio lawmakers made some changes to congressional map, he will need to collect new signatures and refile.

Two Democrats, Dawn Howard, North Canton, and Joseph C. Liolios, Canton, also filed to run for the seat before the Ohio Legislature made changes to the map. The new deadline is Dec. 30.

The 18th Congressional District now covers 16 counties, with Holmes, Tuscarawas and Carroll at the northern end and Ross, Vinton and Jackson counties on the southern end. The new district encompasses 11 counties and is sort of U-shaped. It includes all of Holmes, Ashland, Coshocton and Knox counties and parts of Stark, Tuscarawas, Richland, Huron, Medina, Lorain and Erie counties.

Gibbs said the changes place more of Huron County in the district and less of Lorain County. Seville also has been removed from the district.

"I'm fine with the map," Gibbs said. He had the chance to meet a lot of people and learn a lot in the 18th District, and he will now have the opportunity to meet more in the 7th District.

When Gibbs first ran for Congress, he said he was concerned about the direction the country was going, and it remains a concern as he seeks reelection. He wants to continue to work on legislation that will help provide financial security and lead to good jobs being created so Americans can go back to work.

Reporter Bobby Warren can be reached at 330-287-1639 or [email protected]. He's @BobbyWarrenTDR on Twitter.

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