When Democrats on the Ohio Redistricting Commission cut a deal with their Republican counterparts, the Mahoning Valley didn’t come into play.

The seven-member commission unanimously voted in favor of state legislative maps that give Republicans 61 state House seats to 38 for Democrats with eight Democratic and three Republican toss-up districts. The compromise gave Democrats one more seat in the House than an initial Republican proposal did, but it keeps the GOP supermajority.

Not much changed in the state Senate map proposed last week by Republicans. The GOP would still retain a 23-10 advantage in the Senate with one Democratic and three Republican toss-up districts.

Republicans have 67 House members to 32 for Democrats and 26 Senate members to seven for Democrats after a federal court allowed the state to use a set of maps ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court for gerrymandering.

The existing maps were good only for the 2022 election.

These new maps take effect with the 2024 election and likely are good until the 2032 election though that is subject to potential court challenges.

Also, there is an effort to get a constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot that if approved would create a commission to draw maps and supposedly take politicians out of the process.

Despite stating objections, the two Democrats on the seven-member commission voted in favor of the maps. If they voted no, these new districts would have been in place for just the 2024 election.

The new maps mean the Mahoning Valley will have one competitive House district among the five that represent the area and both Senate districts will heavily favor Republicans based on past statewide voting trends.

The lone competitive district will be the 64th House District, represented by Nick Santucci, R-Howland.

The district will favor Democrats by about 4%.

Santucci won the district last year by 1.8% when it favored Democrats by almost 10% so this will be a lot easier for him.

The new district keeps Warren, Howland, Niles and Weathersfield. It adds more rural and Republican communities including Bristol, Champion, Farmington, West Farmington, Leavittsburg, Newton, Newton Falls, Lordstown and all of Warren Township. The latter township is currently split between the county’s two House districts.

The 65th House District, represented by Mike Loychik, R-Bazetta, got less Republican but is still a safe GOP district.

That district will add Girard, Liberty, Hubbard, McDonald and Vienna from Santucci’s current district. It will continue to represent large portions of rural Trumbull County and much of Ashtabula County.

The current 65th District favors Republicans by about 24%. That drops to about 14% in 2024.

The commission split Mahoning County into a very strong Democratic district and a safe Republican one.

State Rep. Lauren McNally of Youngstown, the Valley delegation’s only Democrat, gets a district that favors her political party by almost 23%. Her current district favors Democrats by about 3%.

McNally’s district keeps Youngstown, Poland and Coitsville and adds Austintown, Jackson, Milton, Lowellville and Craig Beach.

McNally’s district number changes from 59 to 58.

State Rep. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, goes from a toss-up district — that he won last year by 13.4% — to one that favors Republicans by about 12%. He is switching district numbers with McNally, going from 58 to 59.

If re-elected, Cutrona would continue to represent Boardman, Canfield, Berlin, Struthers and Campbell.

The new district adds Beloit, Coitsville, Ellsworth, Sebring, New Middletown, North Lima, Smith, Goshen, Green, Beaver, Springfield and Washingtonville along with Knox and Butler townships in Columbiana County.

Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Columbiana, who represents the 79th House District, keeps a solid Republican area that includes all of Columbiana County.

The Senate map doesn’t change the 33rd District. It would still include all of Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties and favor Republicans by about 9%.

Incumbent Michael Rulli, R-Salem, is not up for re-election in 2024 and cannot seek another Senate term in 2026 because of the state’s term-limit law.

The 32nd Senate District is virtually the same as the existing one, including all of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties and most of Geauga County. It is a safe Republican district, favoring that party by about 10%. Incumbent state Sen. Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, is seeking re-election next year.

dskolnick@vindy.com